


Coins' Sides

by Calla_Lilalma



Category: Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends, 不機嫌なモノノケ庵 | Fukigen na Mononokean | The Morose Mononokean
Genre: All genderless yokais with they/them pronouns, Crossover, Friendship, Fuzzy is adorable and I love them so so much, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Multiple, and characters and tags, it feels weird writing 'it', might add ships as i go on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2018-10-27 15:43:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10812006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calla_Lilalma/pseuds/Calla_Lilalma
Summary: It all starts when the round white yokai gets confused with the other round white yokai...[Disclaimer: I've seen both animes and read the Fukigen na Mononokean manga, so in the event of spoilers, they will be about this material.]





	1. Swapping Mascots

**Author's Note:**

> Hei everyone! Welcome to the crossover the drove me crazy and I just had to write. Today I watched both the new episode of Natsume Yuujinchou AND read the new chapter of Fukigen na Mononokean on my day off from studying for exam season.  
> ...And a reason to write something that won't stay on my drafts until I nitpick the shit out of it. This is hot from the oven and corrected as much as I could for now. But if there are mistakes, i'll fix them ...eventually
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading! And kudo and Comment if you want to!

“Touko-san, I’m home!” Takashi calls when he steps into the house.

Soon, Touko-san’s radiant smile welcomes him, her hands slightly soapy from working in the kitchen.

“Welcome back, Takashi-kun! Did you have fun?” she asks and her interest warms his heart. He still isn’t accustomed to such a warm home, even after years of living here.

He nods softly, “Yeah, it was very fun.”

“I’m glad, Takashi-kun! Now, go have a bath, I haven’t finished making dinner yet.” She gently pushes him to the staircase to the second floor. Takashi chuckles and heads upstairs.

First he stops in his room to put his bags down.

“Sensei, wake up. We’re home already.” He tells the cat that sleeps in one of his bags as he blindly unzips it. He feels slight movement and figures that sensei is waking up. He pick up his towels and heads to the bathroom. As he emerges himself in the hot water, he smiles at the memories he made on his trip.

Kitamoto has invited them to spend the weekend in his cousins’ onsen and relax after another stressful week of school and yokai errands on Takashi’s part. Of course sensei came along, the lazy and gluttonous cat would never miss an opportunity like that. He only had one name to give then and had time to spend with Tanuma and the others.  

He dries his hair with a towel and changes his clothes in the bathroom, just in time for Touko-san to yell that that the dinner is ready. His stomach is already growling and runs to the kitchen where he helps her set the table. Shigeru-san entered in the room just when they were done, smiling tiredly after a stressful day at work.

“Nyangor isn’t hungry tonight?” shigeru-san asks, surprised. Takashi looks up from his plate, looking for the fat cat that never fails to come to dinner, but to his astonishment he sees no one on the bowl with his name on it.

 _Maybe he finally decided to go on a diet. He sure ate a lot this weekend_ , Takashi wishfully thinks.

“Maybe he’s tired from the trip.” He says, “he was sleeping through all the way back.”

“Is he okay?” Touko-san asks in worry, but Takashi just chuckles.

“He’ll be fine. Missing one meal won’t kill him.” they all chuckle at that.

After he helps Touko-san dry the dishes, he returns to his room, but there was no one in here. He sighs tiredly and lays on his futon. Sensei must have gone drinking again, so he doesn’t worry. His eyelids feel heavy and sleep comes smoothly.

 

But a loud rapping on the door wakes him up in what seemed to be seconds. His clock disagrees, indicating that it’s the early hours of the morning and worse, on a school day.

 _Another yokai that wants their name back_ , he sighs. And he had just gotten back…

But it’s not any yokai that waits for him, it’s Nyanko-sensei.

And he looks really pissed.

The moment he opens the window, the fat cat headbutts him hard enough for him to fall down on his butt painfully.

“You idiot!” the cat yells, standing on his hind legs and fat belly, waving his paws at him. He doesn’t look nearly as drank as Takashi expected him to be after so many hours of being outside.

Before he can ask what’s wrong, Sensei is hitting him with his front paws, pinching his cheeks and pulling at his hair. When Takashi finally pulls him off, he was a scratch on his cheek.

“Why did you do that, Sensei!” he punches him in the head to make him finally sit down. he’s careful not to raise his voice too much, lest Touko-san and Shigeru-san wake up.

“You ask why, you pitiful human?! You’re the one that forgot me two towns over!”

Takashi raises an eyebrow, “What are you talking about?”

The cat seems like he’ll transform in any moment and eat him, “I went to get some sweet porkbuns from the shop that someone didn’t want to go in,” he narrows his eyes at him, “and when I came back you were already gone to the station and left me behind!”

“That’s not possible.” Takashi argues, “You were in my bag during the trip, sleeping. I saw you in there!” he thinks back.

“That was not me, you idiot!”

A loud thud sounds from one of the guest rooms on the second floor, pulling both of their attention away from the argument.

Sensei looks at Takashi with a smug , ‘i-told-you-so’ look and pounces to find the culprit of this before he can take a single step. He briefly goes out to see if Touko-san and Shigeru-san woke up with all the noise. Thankfully they didn’t, he would feel horrible if he caused trouble for them or worried them again.

When he returned to his room, he almost had to do a double take on what he saw.

“This guy was running around the house and dropped a frame.” Sensei pointed to the other yokai in the room. It is the same side as sensei, all white and round with three short and round tails and small legs. It has huge purple eyes that looked at him with guilt and worry.

Takashi ignored sensei’s remark and blinked several times at the other yokai, watching it fidget under his gaze.

“Natsume?” Sensei jumped in front of him, startling him.

“-te…” he mutters.

“What?”

“So cute…” he repeats, looking at the white yokai, who blushes and approaches him, headbutting his leg lightly.

Takashi feels himself melt at the cuteness and starts petting the yokai eagerly. He vaguely hears sensei make an offended noise next to him.

“Natsume! You like this fur ball and not the adorable me? you have no taste…” but he’s ignored because that small, white yokai closes their eyes in happiness and Takashi understands how Taki must feel when she sees sensei’s cat form.

Sensei has to headbutt him again to make him snap out of it. When Takashi is focused on why the yokai is here, he realizes that sensei was right and he indeed left him behind.

Then the horror that he accidentally abducted an innocent – because he doesn’t think for a second that this yokai is malevolent in any way- creature, he apologizes profusely to them.

He gets the smallest of pats by a small paw and Takashi has to resist the urge to pet it again.

Instead he yawns widely, “We’ll figure it out in the morning, so please bear with me  for a little longer.” The white furball nods and lays on his side, next to sensei, who still low key sulks. He smiles and falls asleep again.

~~

The school day finds him tired as usual, trying not to fall asleep in his math class. He’s long abandoned trying to figure out the day’s lesson and looks out the window, trying to find a solution about the furball yokai.

The only and most obvious one he finds is taking the yokai back to the town where they went and then letting it go its way. It was one of the simplest cases he had in a while. No book of friends and no chasing around.

Tanuma, seeing the bags under his eyes, fused over him, asking if he slept well and if he was doing yokai errands again.

“It’s honestly fine Tanuma.” Takashi responded with a chuckle, “Just a small mishap. I happened to confuse sensei with a yokai that seemed similar to him… but so much cuter.” He added as a final thought.  Tanuma seemed intrigued by Takashi’s choice of words but trusted his judgement for the matter.

When Takashi arrives home after school, he is once again surprised by seeing fur ball waiting for him in the place where Touko-san is welcoming him usually. It wags its tails cutely and closes his eyes, like its smiling. Takashi laughs at the nice gesture and crouches down to pet it.

“It seems like he’s the spirit of a dog that passed away, that’s why he’s acting that way.” Sensei informs him from his side.

“I see. Do you want us to find your previous owner?” he asks, takes the fur ball in his arms and heads to the station, heading to the town after the next.

The train ride is an hour long and there aren’t many people in the trains which makes the trip less worrisome. Fur ball isn’t making much movement, settling on Takashi’s lap, much to Sensei’s dismay, who pretends that he isn’t bothered by someone not letting him act spoiled.

When they arrive, fur ball is looking around happily, as if looking for someone. They leave out of the blue, and Takashi and sensei follow them, out of curiosity.

After what he thinks must have been an hour and a half, they are all panting out of exhaustion.

“This stupid fur ball!” sensei whines, “Dragging us around like we’re fools.”

“You could use some exercise, sensei. You’ve gained a lot of weight recently.” Takashi responds, smirking.

“What did you say!?” the cat jumps and tries to kick him, but Takashi dodges it easily. He sees from the corner of  his eye that the fur ball has heard or smelled or seen or felt something and runs towards the direction of the shop district. Takashi follows him again, hearing sensei coming along despite panting like crazy in his cat form.

They end up in front of a flower shop, when they see a boy about Takashi’s age carrying some pots with a dejected aura surrounding him. The boy probably senses that there is a possible costumer around and straightens his shoulder, putting on a smile that is not fake at all.

He looks at Takashi, then at sensei and lastly at fur ball.

Then he starts wailing and crying.

“Fuzzy!” he shouts, running towards the yokai with wide arms. Fur ball- no, Fuzzy- blushes and closes its eyes, also running towards the boy. They meet halfway in an overdramatic reunion, the boy hugging Fuzzy and rubbing his cheek on the white fur.

“Fuzzy! I-I missed you so so much!” the boy cries from happiness, “I was looking everywhere for you!”

Takashi watches the reunion with an amused and relieved expression, glad that Fuzzy found his friend.

Then it hits him hard, like a sack of bricks.

“You can see them?” he asks, bewildered.

The boy stops crying, although there are still tears running on his cheeks and welling in his eyes, and looks at them.

“Um....Hello.” he greets awkwardly, blue eyes looking back at him.

“You can see yokai.” Takashi states with more confidence.

The boy’s eyes flash with panic and awful memories come in Takashi’s mind. Of course, after all those years of being afraid of his ability, he should have known better than to call out a complete stranger.

However, the boy doesn’t seem scared per say, just panicked, like a teacher caught him sleeping in class. He smiles sheepishly at Takashi.

“Yeah, I can! Thank you for taking care of Fuzzy!” he comes closer and holds Takashi’s hand with his own two, determination and gratitude clear in his eyes.

“It’s fine… it’s kind of my fault. I mistook them for this one here.” he points at sensei. The boy looks at the cat too.

“But Fuzzy is much cuter than this cat!” he exclaims and Sensei immediately jumps and kicks him in the head.

“Both of you stupid brats have no taste!” he yells and Fuzzy stands before the boy, like they were protecting him. The latter looks awed.

“You can talk? Are you a yokai too?” he asks.

“This is sensei.” Takashi introduces them, “and my name is Natsume Takashi. Nice to meet you.”

“Ah! I’m Ashiya Hanae! Pleasure to meet you too!” he smiles brightly at Takashi. Then he pales, “Oh god.. Abeno-san is going to kill me if he finds out that I told someone I can see yokai.”

Takashi feels himself panic too, “Is that bad?” he asks tentatively.

“Yeah, he’s going to make me work overtime! Fuzzy!” he hugs the yokai again, who seems to like being showered with affection, “Vouch for me! Please!”

“Vouch for you for what?” a menacing aura comes from behind Takashi.

The two boys turn to find another boy around their age, although he doesn’t seem like it, due to the formal Kimono and stern expression that he wears.

“Abeno-san!” Ashiya yells, “I found Fuzzy! Isn’t that great!?”

Abeno-san passes Takashi and pets Fuzzy, his expression softening just slightly. Then he turns to them.

“Who are you?” the other asks with, eyes wary.

“My name’s Natsume Takashi and this is Nyanko sensei.”

“Are you a yokai?” he asks sensei, but it seems more like a statement than a question.

“Abeno-san, there was a misunderstanding and Natsume-kun came all the way here to bring Fuzzy back! Isn’t that great? Right?”

Abeno visibly relaxes more at Ashiya’s words, but his posture is still formal, “Thank you for bringing them back.”

“It’s nothing. I’m going to be heading home now—”

“You can’t!” Ashiya yells, stopping Takashi in his tracks and making Abeno-san roll his eyes.

“I have to thank you somehow. Please stay and have dinner with us!”

“Huh?” Both Abeno and Takashi respond at the same time.

“Stay for dinner! My mom makes a lot of food already and she won’t have a problem with me bringing friends home. Abeno-san, come too!”

“Why are you getting me involved with this?”

“Because Natsume-kun was kind enough to travel all this distance to help Fuzzy! So, we have to make him feel welcome! And the more people we know that can see yokai the better, right?” Ashiya’s expression is more stern and Abeno is left mumbling under his breath. Ashiya smiles in triumph.

“It’s fine—” Takashi tries to protest, but Ashiya seems to understand something else.

“Great!” he grabs his hand and takes him behind the shop, where there is a staircase leading above the shop.

“I hope you like udon, Natsume-kun!”

He sighs and tells the other that he’ll have to call his guardians to inform them that he won’t be home later than predicted.

Ashiya’s home was small, but warm at the same time and it had many flowers on almost every surface .

“My mom is visiting a relative and my sister is out with friends, so we are all alone here.” Ashiya cheers , “Make yourselves at home.”

Abeno was doing just , taking a seat like it was his own home. Nyanko sensei soon followed, sold on the mere thought of filling his fat belly.

“So, Natsume, how did you find Fuzzball?” Abeno asks, prompting Natsume to tell the short story of mistaking him for sensei after his trip.

Dinner started awkwardly, to be honest. But Ashiya’s cheerfulness and Fuzzy’s antics were more than enough to make him feel relaxed.

Those two bickered a lot, Takashi concluded. Mostly Abeno reprimanded Ashiya, who would pout and widen his eyes like a hurt puppy. He was surprised to learn that those two were in the same class and a year younger than him.

Abeno was stiff by nature, he also learnt. He was easy to anger and to annoy though, but he had a great love for yokai, if the way he was petting Fuzzy was any indication.

They seemed interesting and Takashi hoped that they would like to be friends. It’s been a while since he had people that could fully see yokai and be at the same age as him. And while he was not complaining at all that someone as amazing as Tanuma wanted to be friends with him was – he had some childish complaints about Natori though, but he was bad either-  he understands that every friend was a different experience.

“It’s late.” He said sometime after dinner, “I should leave.”

“But it is dangerous at this time.” Ashiya murmured, worried about him, “and you leave pretty far…” then his snapped his head up, bluish black hair following the sudden movement. His eyes were sparkling as he looked at Abeno, who immediately took on a guarded expression.

“Abeno-san …”

“No.”

“But!”

“No buts.”

“Please!”

Takashi watched with confusion as the two had a small stare down, in which surprisingly Abeno lost.

“Fine.” he looks at Takashi, “But you won’t speak of it with anyone.” He nods even when he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

Then he turns to one of the walls when he mutters something and a small wooden door appears. He hears Sensei hum in interest.

Ashiya gets inside the door Takashi worries that he may have fallen to his death. But, he too is ushered inside.

The day seems to have even more surprises for him, as on the other side of the small door is a small tea room, with tatami floors and a small table.

“The master of Mononokean, huh?” Sensei muses.

“Got a problem?” Abeno challenges.

“I didn’t expect it to be such a young brat, that’s all.” he answers but Takashi can feel that he hides something.

“We can take you close to home safely now. We had a mission near her about a week ago.” Ashiya chirps. He looks at one of the walls.

True to his word, when the door opens for the second time, they are near his house. Before he can leave, Ashiya grabs his hand again and writes his number on his palm.

“There is no reason to not be friends now! Goodnight Natsume-kun!” he waves frantically. Abeno gives Ashiya a worried look, and then a nod at Takashi, who smiles and waves back.

As they walk the small distance to his house he asks sensei what is the Mononokean.

“The master of the Mononokean is someone who can send yokai to the underworld, if they want to. He’s some kind of exorcist that works for the yokai. The Mononokean is like the office that make them travel both in between the living world and between the underworld and the living world.”

“Sounds like a big responsibility.” He muses.

“That’s why I didn’t expected a teenager to be the master already. It’s been a while since I heard of it and I still remember the previous master.”

“Abeno-san seems to be very responsible. And Ashiya-kun too.” he looks at the writing on his hand fondly.

Sensei looks at him for a few seconds and huffs.

“I always tell you that your meddling is troublesome but you never listen ….”

He continues complaining but Takashi is ignoring him again, nodding every few seconds and smiling.

His heart feels warm and his hand even warmer and Touko-san seemed to be taken aback by the radiance of his own smile.

 


	2. Steps Towards Where?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hei again! It's been a while! This chapter is going to introduce a tiny bit of drama and angst, something that there will be at some points on the fic! So be prepared! :P It seems like there is a thing where I write those chapter after I see Natsume Yuujinchou and read the new chapter of Fukigen na Mononokean! I apologize for the mistakes as the chapter is fresh from the word oven, because I wanted to post it as soon as possible! Also if you're up for sappy, emotional personal shit about me, read the notes below. (or not, trust me, even i wouldn't want to read about myself :P) the end notes are reeeeeally long, fair warning. I just have too much to say!  
> Enjoy the new chapter!

Two days later, Takashi is still looking the number written on one of his post-its while holding the house phone and each time he doesn’t make the call.

He knows he should be feeling happy that he found some possible friends that share his abilities, but he can’t hold the doubt from clawing into his thoughts. Thoughts of familiar abandonment manifest in the light trembling of his hands and the tightening of his chest.

Then two days become five and Takashi still doesn’t call.

A part of him thinks that Ashiya-kun will have forgotten about him and that Abeno-kun didn’t seem to like him in the first place, both of which make his heart just as heavy but at least his legs are able to move and take him to school.

Sensei hasn’t said a word about it, but he feels the sharp, calculating stare every time Takashi is even close to the phone. The fat calico cat plays it of as being bored and is just people watching.

He thinks about the words that Sensei told him. About the so-called Mononokean. He will admit that he isn’t the most knowledgeable about the yokai world like Matoba or maybe Natori are, so every new piece of information is overwhelming.

Interacting with yokai with so much ease and going back and forth in the yokai world sounds like the job of someone powerful. And he has the book of friends, he would know.

Almost every time Takashi has gone into a yokai territory has ended with him running away and in serious trouble and the mere memory of it brings him goosebumps.

The doubt gets stronger, why would he possibly want to be involved with something that could get him in even more trouble?

But he remembers Ashiya-kun’s earnest smile and hopefulness when he wrote the number on his arm and he involuntarily smiles. It’s surprising that someone wants to be his friend that badly that it seems like an illusion by his lonely heart.

His plummeting mood has become visible to others by the fifth day. Nishimura and Kitamoto try to cheer him up by telling horrible jokes of how Nishimura isn’t able to find a cute girlfriend to go on dates with and even if he laughs a little, he doesn’t stay like that for long. Not even Sensei’s anguish from Taki fawning is enough.

“Natsume!” he turns around that the call and sees Tanuma running towards him. He stops right in front of him, panting and holding his hand up for him to wait.

“Tanuma! You shouldn’t tire yourself…” he notices that the other is wearing his gym clothes, “did you run here from across the building?!” he panics and rummages through his bag to get a bottle of water, “here, drink this. No argument.” He finishes when Tanuma is obviously two seconds away from protesting.

Still panting, he downs the whole bottle, his Adam’s apple bobbing quickly.

“I’m sorry Natsume, I accidentally drank it all. I’ll buy you a new—”

“It’s fine Tanuma, really.” Takashi tries to reassure him, “Just don’t do that again. You should take care of your health.”

“I just , you know, really wanted to talk to you.”  his face is still flushed red and runs a hand through his hair, “You been… distant those past couple of days and I wanted to tell you that you can talk to me, whatever it’s bothering you…” he looks around suspiciously, “is it a yokai? Are you in trouble?” he whispers.

“No!” he blushes at the sudden outburst, “I’ve been feeling a little under the weather lately, that’s all. It’ll pass, I promise.”

Tanuma stares at him in silence and Takashi starts to fidget under the intensity of those dark eyes and refuses to meet them with his own.

A hand on his shoulder makes him finally look up at Tanuma’s soft smile and kind eyes.

“You should take care of yourself too Natsume. And if you feel like talking, I’ll listen.” The words makes Takashi’s heart calmer but at the same time beat a lot faster than normal.

He smiles shyly “I’ll will. Thanks.” He cringed a little inside at how awkward he sounded.

“Now, go change! You’ll catch a cold with those sweaty clothes on.” he lightly pushes Tanuma in the direction he came from, earning a laugh from the other.

“You’re so bossy…” he mumbles making Takashi blush even more.

 

 

After he parts ways with Tanuma and waved him goodbye, he finds himself enjoying the light breeze on his face.

“Finally! I thought that wimp would never leave.” Sensei said from inside his bag. Takashi pulls one of his ears until the yokai yelps in pain.

“Don’t call him wimp, Sensei! He’s my friend!”

The cat hums smugly.

“What?” he asks in irritation.

“Nothing! Hurry up, I want to eat Touko’s delicious food!”  Takashi sighs and pulls sensei out of his bag and drops him on the ground.

“Then, you have to walk for it. you’re getting too heavy for me to carry you.” he walks past sensei, who lets an angry ‘what’, but follows none the less.

Near the forest he always passes on his way home, he starts hearing someone yelling and he pauses in his tracks.

Deciding to follow the voice, much to Sensei’s irritation, he goes into the woods as silently as possible until he reaches the voice.

There is a female yokai, that is obvious because gazelles don’t talk, let alone yell, nor do they have humanoid stance and posture. She pretty much has all the attributes of a gazelle, including the colours and the beautiful, intricate horns. She keeping yelling the word ‘Sunori’  over and over and Takashi assumes that it’s the name of the one she is looking for.

Her voice is filled with anguish and Takashi can’t wait any longer, so he steps out of the hiding place.

“Are you looking for someone?” he asks her. The yokai startles at his voice and turns her big brown eyes at him with astonishment.

“A human? You can see me?” she asks. Takashi smiles.

“Yes, I heard you yelling and I came to see what’s happening. Are you lost?”

The yokai’s dropped ears perk up and she smiles at him.

“I am looking for my little sister!” she explains, “we got separated after a vicious yokai started chasing us. I told her to run as I distracted him.” She starts speaking incoherently and panicking and Takashi took a small step forward.

“What is your name?” he asks as a mean to calm her down.

“G-Gazu.” She answers.

“Gazu,” Takashi repeats, “Take deep breaths.” He breathes with her until she is significantly calmer.

“You think your sister ran here?”

“Maybe. We live in a deserted place and she likes exploring, especially green places.”

“What happened to the yokai chasing you?” he looks around worriedly.

“He got into a fight with another big yokai and I used it as my chance to run away.”

“I’ll help you find her, her name is Sunori, right?” she nods.

Together they all, even Sensei, begrudgingly so, search the forest from top to bottom, asking every yokai if they’d seen her, but with no luck. When the sun was starting to set, Takashi was going to stop searching for the day, he’d already worried Touko-san long enough.

Gazu is on the verge of tears when he tells her that he has to go home for the night. She begs him to stay.

“I can’t stay.” He answers solemnly, “I will help you tomorrow. Maybe she’ll be on the place you got separated.” She lets him go after that promise.

He arrives home to a worried Touko-san and it hurts him gravely when he has to hide the truth and make up a lie for his tardiness, because she gives him space. After years of seeing how strange he is, both she and Shigeru-san continue to reassure him that he is part of their family, even though Takashi still has doubts.

When heading to the second floor, the landline catches his eye and his chest feels even tighter. He heads up, changes and joins the people that have become like parents to him to dinner. Of course Nyanko-sensei is here, eating too much for it to be healthy and eyeing him with annoyance for making them late.

“Takashi,” Shigeru-san addresses him during dinner, “I hope you know that it’s alright to call your friends from the phone.” Takashi’s eyes widen at that, he didn’t think they noticed.

Touko-san smiles sympathetically, almost sheepishly, like she read his thought, “I couldn’t help but notice that you were standing in front of it with a number on your hand. But you never called.”

“If it’s about the phone bill, Takashi, don’t hesitate for a second to call. You are a part of this house and everything we own is yours too.” Shigeru-san’s smile and words make his heart fill with warmth and he couldn’t believe his luck for living with them.

“It’s not about that…” he trails off, “It’s that I don’t know if I should call…” he admits with a downcast gaze.

Shigeru-san and Touko-san wait patiently for him to gather his thoughts and put them into words. They understand that Takashi is having a hard time to open up, especially about his problems.

“I made some friends the other day, I mean, I don’t know if they are friends. They- they were nice, really nice. But I didn’t call and maybe they’ve forgotten about me…” he blinks his tears back inside his eyes and lowers them. He doesn’t want to be more of a burden to them.

“Takashi-kun.” Touko calls with a steady voice and he looks up, “People who want to be your friends won’t forget after only a week and people who forget you like that are not going to be good friends to you. The only way to know that is to try and reach out.”

“Whatever happens, you’ll have us by your side, always Takashi.” Shigeru smiles too and Takashi joins them. Thankfully they ignore its wobbliness and the redness under his eyes.

 

When they finish dinner, it’s not too late and Takashi is picking up the phone, gathering up all the bravery he has before the doubts evaporate them completely.

“Jeez,” Sensei clicks his tongue, “you’re never listening to me.” however the words hold no bite or warning. He is tempted to describe them as ‘fond’.

Every number he punches feels like a matter of life or death and when the phone beeps his breath is caught in his throat.

A perky voice picks up at the third ring, somehow breathless, like he was running to pick it up.

“Hi, A-Ashiya-kun… I know it might be too late to call…”

~~

“Natsume-san!” A blur of blue latches at him the moment he steps on the meeting place, grabbing him for a hug that almost makes him topple on the hard ground, “It’s so good to see you! Hello…weird cat.” he greets, chin on Natsume’s shoulder.

“It’s Nyanko-sensei, you insolent human! Learn to respect your superiors!”

But he can’t help but laugh, still a little overwhelmed, as he pats Ashiya’s back lightly, “I-It’s good to see you too, Ashiya-kun. I know I should’ve called soo—”

“It’s okay, Natsume-san!” Ashiya pulls away from the hug and places his hands on his shoulders, “I understand! Abeno-san told me that I was being too pushy and he was right! I’m so relieved that I didn’t scare you off!” he smiles brightly and Takashi is astonished by his kindness.

But, “Natsume-san?” is the only thing he’s able to comment on.

“Yeah, you are kind of my senior but we are not on the same school, so –san it is!”

“Oh, I see…” then he looks at his companion, “Ashiya-kun this is Gazu, a yokai I am helping.” He gestures at Gazu.

“Nice to meet you Ashiya-dono. It’s amazing that there are so many humans that see yokai.” She bows at him as greeting.

Ashiya, on the other hand looks shocked beyond relief.

“You!” he points to the yokai too loudly for both her and Takashi to wince at the volume. Ashiya notices and apologizes, “Sorry, do you … perhaps have a little sister—”

“Yes!” she takes his hand, “Do you know something? Is she okay?” she continues to bombard him with questions.

“She’s fine! we found her a couple of days ago looking for you. Abeno-san is with her now looking. I’ll call him.” he pulls out his phone and steps a little further away.

“Isn’t that great Natsume-dono?” she seems ecstatic to a point that it makes him smile too.

“Yes, it’s a small world after all…”

“He’s on his way here. We’ll open the portal to the underworld then for you to pass.”

“Underworld?” Takashi asks and he can hear  Sensei’s interest and suspicion being peaked.

“Yes.” Gazu answers, “We are originally from the Underworld but we came to the Human World to find some medical plants.”  She frowns, now remembering their first objective.

“Don’t worry about it! You were actually looking for a flower my mom has on her shop, so I took some of those too.”

“Thank you so much Ashiya-dono! How can I—”

“Nee-san!” a small voice calls from afar.

Gazu turns her head to the call.

“Sunori!” she calls back with evident relief in her voice and runs as fast she can to hug the little girl that must be her sister. A few feet behind the little girl, Takashi sees Abeno-kun with the same formal kimono and a soft expression as he looks the reunion.

Then his eyes land on Takashi and sharpen to a point of being hostile. It feels just unpleasant as when he was passed around by relatives, they looked at him with hatred too, but this was different and he can’t put his finger on why is that.

 

“Abeno-san, look! Natsume-san is here!” Ashiya exclaims, “Sunori-chan’s older sister came found him and helped too!” Abeno give an indifferent nod at Ashiya’s words and hums every few seconds.

Takashi feels something on his legs and looks down to see Fuzzy and crouches down to pet and coo at him.

He expected Sensei to say something incredulous about being all affectionate to Fuzzy but when he turns to him, he sees him looking at Abeno with narrowed and unreadable eyes. Abeno is doing the same, only his wariness and distrust is open for the world to see.

“Abeno-san, don’t be so rude to our friends!” Ashiya waves a hand in front of him to get his attention. It works as Abeno redirects his glare to him, but it loses its bite and its only annoyed.

“Let’s get this over with…” Abeno mutters and walks to a wide, empty area, motioning the two gazelle yokai to come and stand next to him.

He crouches to the ground and touches it with his palm.

“Master of the Mononokean, Abeno Haruitsuki. Calling a portal to the underworld.”

At those words, Takashi watches with wonder and awe as a huge portal with a long tailed fox on each of its shutters opens slightly, just so to accommodate the two yokai.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve last seen it.” Nyanko -sensei says as he sits on his shoulder, but he doesn’t take his eyes off of the sight in front of him.

Ashiya give the sisters the aforementioned flowers and grins at them.

“Thank you, Natsume-dono, for your help.” Gazu gives him one last smile and enters the portal after her sister. It closes and disappears completely, leaving the ground exactly as it was before.

“Thanks for the help Natsume-san!” Ashiya smiles brightly once again as an effort to lighten up the uncomfortable atmosphere between him and Abeno. Or it might be just how Takashi is feeling.

They two boys accompany him and Nyanko –sensei to the station so he can head home, it’s early and the trains are still working. At the way there, he smiles at Ashiya’s stories and Fuzzy’s overall cuteness until the time to go home comes.

This time, he’s the one that takes Ashiya’s hand and writes a number on it.

“I don’t have a cellphone on my own so I’m giving you my landline. You …you can call anytime for whatever you need.”

The other boy’s cheek redden and his smile is so wide, it threatens to split his face, “Thank you so much! I will call! We should hang out more often!” he turns to look at Abeno but they see Fuzzy get stuck in a vending machine. He cries their name in anguish and runs to help the wiggling yokai out of it.

“Natsume-san.” he hears Abeno calling his name, the first time he actually addressed him verbally. It’s a cold but polite greeting, like they are strangers.

_In a way, they are_ , he thinks. Ashiya has warmed up his way a little deeper that he usually lets people he met only once go. But he can’t help it with the boy’s kindness and sunshine like personality.

Abeno, on the other hand, is guarded. If Ashiya is the sun, Abeno is more like the moon.

“Yes, Abeno-kun?” he turns to him and looks slightly up because even though he’s an upperclassman, he’s still shorter than Abeno by a few centimeters. He succeeds to keep his tone light and polite, he’s used to it, especially in situations like this, when the person he’s speaking to looks at him with a similar look.

“I want to make this clear. I don’t like you.” he admits bluntly without even blinking and it surprises Takashi. Normally people wait until he’s out of the room to talk like that. He appreciates it in a way, that the words much his aura and gaze.

Nyanko-sensei looks at the boy like he’s waiting to pounce.

“Can I … ask why is that?” Takashi asks softly. Abeno doesn’t have enough time to answer him, he look at the side to see Ashiya coming and Fuzzy approaching.

“Ashiya seems to like your company. For now, at least, we’re good.” He manages to say before they are joined by the other boy. The train also comes at that time and the later wishes him a safe trip and waves until the train is out of sight. Abeno only gives him a curt nod before he boards.

The way home is too little of a time to process what has happened, why and what the future will bring.

“You humans are still so bothersome and strange.” Sensei says and, for once, he agrees with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was it? I hope you liked it and will stick to the fic for as long as it takes! I want to warn you that I suck at making multi-chaptered fics because i am a mess of a human being! thankfully, this fic makes it a little bit easier because it'll be like an anthology. I want to say that I plan to update once a month, but don't take it as an absolute thing. I will try my best to do it, but i don't know if i will be successful (again, mess of a human being.)  
> Speaking of, (this is the part where it get personal, for anyone who wants to tune off) I thank you so so so much for commenting on this, and suggesting and being amazing! The past two months were really stressful and I was in a bad emotional place that I don't wish to anybody and when i was feeling like shit (too often to be healthy) i was reading your comment, all the comments and it made me so so fucking happy. it feels so therapeutic to write here and have people that like the same things as me!  
> (THANK YOU SO MUCH! (i'm tearing up, fuck! *goes in the corner and cries for the third time in like a month* this time it's happiness, i promise) 
> 
> (you can tune in again) ALSO I WOULD LIKE YOU TO HELP ME WITH SOMETHING!   
> Don't worry, it's about the fic! I'd like help coming up with yokai names and descriptions (and backstories if you want)  
> so if you have a yokai in your head, send a description in the comments, or simply a cool name that sounds like a yokai from these shows would have. It can be anything your heart wants! Backstory, name, description, one or more of these.  
> Suggestions about anything is welcome. I have many points of the fic i want to write set on my mind, but any suggestion will be nice!   
> Kudos and comments are welcome as always and I greet you goodnight/goodmorning etc wherever you are before i get to annying and sappy! :)


	3. Walls have ears, eyes and distinct personalities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hei everyone! Thank you so much for continuing to read this fic, liking it and commenting on it!  
> This chapter is unedited because it's 3am in the morning and I'm really tired.  
> Comments, kudos are always welcome. Suggestions about Yokai (see ch2 end notes, yes the word vomit). And plot points, although I have things i want to write, but you never know!  
> Enjoy!

“-I’ve seen him speaking on the phone frequently these days. He seems happier. ” he overhears Shigeru-san say on his way to dinner. He stops in his track, guiltily continuing his eavesdropping.

Touko-san hums happily and clattering of the kitchen equipment echoes, “He is! Things might have worked out well for him. I was afraid we put pressure on him by talking to him.”

Takashi hears Shigeru-san chuckle faintly, “Thank goodness it turned out this way. It is nice to see Takashi smiling this freely.”

“It really suits him!” there is no mistaking the fondness in Touko-san’s tone.

The boy in question feels his face warm at the love and support his foster family has given to him and even though he’s still guilty about hearing them, it’s a nice feeling hearing those people talking about him this warmly even when he’s not in the same room.

Deciding to wait until his cheeks were back to normal temperature, he muses the words he heard.

The truth is, he felt better. Touko-san and Shigeru-san gave him courage to take a step forward, even if a little push by fate was needed. Meeting with Ashiya again felt like when he met Touko-san for the second time and learned she wasn’t a yokai. It was like his walls were moving to make way to accommodate them in his comfort zone.

Whereas Touko-san and Shigeru-san were the parents he was yearning for all this time when he was passed around; Ashiya was a friend that understood him in a level to where his darkest, most fearful secret wasn’t putting a noose around his neck.

However, his mind drifts easily from Ashiya’s genuine friendliness to Abeno’s genuine dislike for him, as the simple but impactful words play over and over.

Replaying every moment together, Takashi tried multiple times to deduce the reason why Abeno is this hostile towards him.

No- hostile isn’t the correct word. He’s seen hostile on the face of multiple of the relatives he was staying with after his father died.

Takashi prefers using the term ‘tolerate’.

He tries to persuade himself that it’s fine, that everyone is entitled to their own opinion; yet he feels uneasy.

It’s the unwavering stare and the intimidating aura of Abeno, a kid younger than him, that Takashi can’t let go. There is a strange familiarity beyond that first layer.

Takashi sees a person that has seen more that he should have for someone this young, a sight that he sees in himself every day when he looks in the mirror.

Maybe it’s the Yokai seeing, but that doesn’t completely explain the lack of it in Ashiya’s eyes.

Maybe it’s—

“Takashi-kun, are you listening ?” a voice makes him jump and almost stumble at this own feet.

He takes deep breath to calm down and then smiles sheepishly.

“I’m sorry Touko-san. What did you say?”

A fond huff comes out of the woman’s lips, cheeks puffing up the slightest.

“I asked what are you doing in the staircase. I’ve been calling you for dinner.”  She frowns and puts a hand on Takashi’s forehead; it makes hi chuckle.

“I’m fine Touko-san. Just distracted, that’s all.” he gets up and joins them for the delicious dinner she made. Sensei comes out of nowhere, he hadn’t seen him all day; he was probably drinking with the dog’s circle because his face is beet red and he wobbles. The food though, doesn’t go untouched. The opposite, in fact. He gobbles it all and ‘meows’ for second helping like the fat globe he is. They all chuckle at his antics but Touko-san still gives him a second plate, thankfully smaller that the first.

Maybe that’s enough time overthinking and time to enjoy the beautiful atmosphere.

~~

“Good morning, Natsume-kun ~”

He waves back, less excitedly than her and approaches them.

“Good morning, Taki, Tanuma.” He smiles.

He chuckles when he sees her looking around with sparkling eyes.

“Sensei doesn’t come with me at school.” The way she deflates so dramatically makes him smile.

“Went drinking again?” Tanuma jokes from next to him.

Takashi sighs. It’s all there is needed to be said.

They all walk together to the respective classrooms and Takashi is glad that today is a tranquil day. There are small yokais that float, walk, fly or crawl around the school, none of them harmful. There is a cat at the field that he has PE later that day and he accomplishes to pet her; a beautiful, black and most importantly, slim cat that purrs cutely at the purr of his hand in glee. Takashi was starting to get worried that with so much time with Sensei, he would never look a cat the same way again. It’s a joyful thing that he was wrong.

 

“You look really happy Natsume-kun. Did you get a girlfriend?” Sasada remarks at lunch time, taking a seat on their table in the cafeteria.

He chokes on the piece of shrimp he chokes and Kitamoto has to pat his back to help him recover.

“Here.” Tanuma tells him, handing him his water. Takashi shakes his head to refuse but Tanuma doesn’t seem to pay him any mind. He grabs Takashi’s hand and wraps the fingers around it tightly.

“No arguments.” He smiles but doesn’t look at Takashi; his eyes are downcast and his face is as red as a brand new firetruck.

But so is Takashi’s.

He mumbles a shy ‘thank you’ and drinks the rest of the water from the bottle, feeling his throat open and sighs in relief.

“No I didn’t get a girlfriend, Sasada. Please don’t do that again.” he frowns which makes the girl apologize, “Is there something different about me?”  he fidgets his fingers on the hem of his shirt.

“No no!” All of them try to reassure him, speaking over another incomprehensively and gathering attention from the tables around.

“It’s just like Sasada said. You seem… less moody, in a way?” Nishimura tells and shrinks on himself when Taki glares at him, “What? it’s true!”

“It’s,” he starts, trying to find an excuse, “the weather maybe? Spring normally makes people brighter, right?” he wonders.

Sasada, Nishimura and Kitamoto agree with him and drop the subject. Taki is a little suspicious and unconvinced but she doesn’t press either.

Tanuma, on the other hand, just throws him another shy smile. His eyes are knowing that Takashi’s words are not true,  but also questioning about the real reason. They both avoid eye contact due to their embarrassment.

~~

To his surprise and delight, there were no Yokai wanting to eat him and steal the book of friends.

“Natsume…” Tanuma says a little before they part. Taki wasn’t there due to her club activities, the only one of the three that bothered to participate.

“Yes, Tanuma?”

“If there is anything going on in your life…” he makes a grimace, “no, that sounds wrong. If there is anything you want to… share… not only about yokai, you know—”

“I know Tanuma.” He said with a chuckle, “You’ve told me before and I said okay.” He pauses as an idea pops in his mind, “If it’s what Sasada said, it’s not true! I am not! Dating! I mean, you know it, right! Right?” he coughs in his fist and turns away to hide the millionth blush that decorates his cheek today. Not even the mid-summer days can get that many out of him.

“Yeah! Yeah… of course! Oh shoot, I made everything weird now, didn’t I?” Tanuma hides his face in his hands.

Takashi is torn between chuckling kindly and panicking at the others dejection. The latter option wins when the silence stretches to an uncomfortable level, even for them.

He puts a hand on Tanuma’s shoulder, lightly squeezing and waiting till the other looks at him. His shoulder is fairly bony, from the years when Tanuma had to stay indoors without any form of exercise.

They don’t say anything else with words, only those quiet actions. Yet the atmosphere is a little awkward, not in the way that Takashi wants to get away, but in the way that his feelings are all over the place and many of them he does not know the names of.

He arrives home safely and is met with silence. It’s the time of day that Shigeru-san is still at work and Touko-san has told him that she would be visiting a friend; finally taking some time for herself outside the house. Shigeru and Takashi had to persuade her with puppy dog eyes to finally make her give in.

Sensei is nowhere in sight. He still might be sleeping or is out again.

He takes deep breaths listening to the silence for as long as it lasts, going upstairs to wash his face and hands. Changing out of his school uniform an putting on his casual indoor clothes, that can still make him go outside in the woods for an impromptu adventure regarding yokai at the same time.

After a couple of hours, he’s absorbed by his homework and writing furiously his liteture homework in his third worksheet when something soft nudges his thigh. The first time he thinks his leg had gone numb and ignores it, but as soon at the soft pushes get more constant he looks up to the source.

His eyes widen and he blinks a couple of times to properly register what he sees.

“Fuzzy?” he asks gently and in disbelief.

Fuzzy closes their big beautiful purple eyes at him in happiness, furry white cheeks reddening underneath them.

“What are you doing here?” he asks and his hand has gained a mind on its own, reaching out to pet the cute round yokai that pushes into his palm, much like the dog they used to be when they were alive.

“You came here to play?” his voice also seems to rebel against him as it drops in a cooing tone, like he’s speaking to a small toddler, only less likely to cry for no reason at all.

Fuzzy’s bob tails wiggle vigorously and happily and they make circles around the room.

So full of energy, he muses with a soft chuckle.

Takashi finds a couple of small toys in his room, previously intended for sensei in order to lose some weight, but now they have gathered dust on their surfaces. He blows them, coughing in the process.

He tosses them to Fuzzy so they can play together safely. They play fetch with the small ball he has, careful not to break anything.

After enough time for Takashi’s muscles to start burning with pain, Fuzzy hops out of the room,  carefree as a butterfly. He follows them, worried about the cute yokai and the property that might break and cause the Fujiwaras unwanted trouble.

He watches as the Yokai enters one of the rooms, the same dusted guest room he first realized their existence and opens the door.

Instead of the neatly folded  placed and familiar furniture, he finds himself in another room, less familiar but not completely unknown.

He realizes that it’s the room Ashiya insisted he went in to take him home on their first meeting.  The same one that Abeno was so adamant on keeping a secret.

Understandable. The room was particularly a teleportation room, like the one in those old sci-fi films Shigeru-san likes to watch on late nights.

 _‘The Mononokean’_ , he thinks sensei called it. The master of which is Abeno.

The room is just like he vaguely remembers, but now that he’s not in a hurry, he can inspect more detailed.

It’s simple, paper walls, one with a long scroll hanging and tatami floors. The small table he remembers isn’t there, but the image is blurry enough to doubt its existence.

Fuzzy is waiting for him, running around the room and jumping in one place, as if to invite him to sit down. With a nervous smile, he closes the door and obeys. The fluffy yokai takes their own seat in his lap breathing deeply, calmly.

Absentmindedly petting, he looks around, the hairs on the back of his neck raised; he feels ….off. Like someone is watching them.

A small bell chime echoes and snaps his head to the source. He jumps at seeing something written on the scroll that definitely wasn’t there before.

 **HELLO!** **┬┴┬┴┤** **･** **ω** **･** **)** **ﾉ**

 

Takashi is taken by surprise and Fuzzy leaves his lap and stands underneath the scroll, at ease and nodding to it.

 

“Um… Hi?” he answers reluctantly. If Sensei was there, he’d have wacked him hard on his head and call him all the synonyms of the word ‘idiot’.

 

The bell chimes again; the previous words fade away and are replaced with new ones.

**YOU’RE ITSUKI’S AND ASHIYA’S FRIEND!**

He doesn’t respond to that, he doesn’t know how. And he certainly doesn’t want to blabber about the complexity of those words right now.

 **I’M MONONOKEAN! NICE TO MEET YOU! (** **≧** **▽≦)/**

“I’m Natsume Takashi. It’s nice to meet you as well, Mononokean-san.” He bows.

Another chime.

 **OH PLEASE! (⁄ ⁄ >⁄ ** **▽** **⁄ <** **⁄** **⁄) ANY FRIEND OF THEIRS IS MINE TOO!**

He nods in understanding, “so, where are they now?”

**THEY HAVE A JOB SOMEWHERE. THEY’LL RETURN SOON.**

He nods again. The atmosphere is slightly awkward, now that he knows about the yokai room watching his every move in this room.

But they don’t seem to mind that uneasiness as they make vivid conversation that makes him relax bit by bit. The cute kaomoji’s help a lot to portrait their emotions.

**ASHIYA TALKS A LOT ABOUT YOU!**

The words catch him off guard, he didn’t think Ashiya would do something like that about a person he’s seen twice.

“Really?” his question voices the conflict in his mind.

 **YES!  ( ´** **▽ ` ) HE’S REALLY EXCITED TO FIND MORE PEOPLE SEEING YOKAI!**

The bell chimes constantly as Mononokean writes happily.

**THE MORE THE MERRIER HE SAYS!**

**FUZZY TOO! THEY LIKE YOU A LOT! THAT’S WHY WE CAME IN YOUR HOUSE!**

**I HOPE YOU DON’T MIND…. DO YOU?** **〣( ºΔº )** **〣**

“No, not at all.” He smiles, looking at Fuzzy’s equally nervous expression about entering his house uninvited, “ I’m used to it.” He mutters.

 **OH GOOD! BUT WE’RE SORRY ANYWAY!   (** **シ_ _)** **シ**

**FUZZY DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO STAY STILL  (** **￣** **￣|||)**

**AND NOW THAT HE FOUND YOU**

**HE HAS ANOTHER PERSON TO PLAY WITH, WHEN ITSUKI AND ASHIYA ARE AWAY**

“It’s fine. Fuzzy is fun to have around.” The mentioned Yokai’s cheeks redden and rub themselves in Takashi’s belly. “But I have school too, like them. And Sensei can get really jealous when he can’t get the attention he wants.”

Mononokean offers him a cup of tea, apologizing profoundly that they don’t have limbs to make it themselves. Takashi tries his best to reassure them that he’s fine and has drunk plenty of water.

**I’LL JUST TELL ITSUKI TO MAKE IT WHEN HE COMES BACK!**

At the mention of the other boy, the words said last time they met replay and he manages to mask the frown with a smile.

“There is no need, really…”

The yokais somehow sense his discomfort as Fuzzy does small and adorable backflips to cheer him up; they succeed tremendously.

**NATSUME-KUN…**

Even if it’s written, the words’ emotion and tone are much like a voice. Right now they command his attention as something serious is going to be discussed.

**ITSUKI IS REALLY NICE WHEN HE WANTS TO.**

“I can see that.” his smile is empty, “I know what it’s like to trust no one or few. I’m not bothered.”

**HE’S JUST, PROTECTIVE. EVEN WHEN HE ACTS LIKE A MEANIE.**

Takashi’s lips part to question the yokai.

“Mononokean~”

The words are immediately erased.

 **WELCOME BACK ITSUKI!  ٩(** **◕‿◕｡)۶**

**HOW WAS YOUR JOB?**

“Fine.” Abeno’s gaze locks on Takashi, who blinks and meets it quickly in reflex, although his mind is hesitant.

_Is it really true that he’s younger than me?_

“Hello Abeno-kun. I’m sorry for the intrusion.”

“Are you a client?” a blunt response.

“Ah… no.”

It’s a wrong answer; he can tell by the way Abeno’s already sharp eyes sharpen even more, the displeasure apparent and aimed at the target.

**HE’S OUR FRIEND, SO I LET HIM IN WHEN FUZZY INVITED HIM!**

“Hmph.” The master of Mononokean’s frown indicates even more that he doesn’t agree with the wording of the sentence.

Fuzzy wiggles in Takashi’s lap, also pretending Abeno doesn’t glare daggers to all three of them.

Takashi pets them comfortingly.

The tense atmosphere is broken like a fast baseball in a glass window when another voice, a familiarly warm one, gasps in surprise.

“Natsume-san, you’re here!”

“Good evening, Ashiya-kun. Pardon the intrusion.” He bows for the other fellow human too.

“What-why- how?” he can’t help but find the way Ashiya tries to make sense of the situation endearing and so in character.

“Fuzzyball found him and Mononokean invited him in.” Abeno cuts off the many questions swift like a knife in butter.

 However Ashiya ignores him and takes a seat next to Takashi, “How are you Natsume-san? I’m sorry if Fuzzy dragged you here!”

“It’s fine.” He assures for the millionth time. He gives a last pet to Fuzzy and places him to the ground, much to the Yokai’s dissatisfaction, “I should go.”

“No!” **NO!** **ヾ(** **￣O** **￣)** **ツ**

The loud voice and the bell chiming at the same time startles him to the point of freezing half standing.

“I mean…” Ashiya rubs the back of his neck with his hand, flustered, “you should stay for tea at least.” Fuzzy nods so fast that they almost jump up and down.

Takashi spares a glance at Abeno, who’s looking at them with suspicion and doubt.

But, somehow, his eyes are softer than before. Fond almost, if anyone looks beyond the sharp hostility.

He gives Takashi a look and a curt nod, heading to the appliance in the corner of the room, probably making tea.

Takashi relents at the blue human and purple actual puppy eyes and with a fond sigh sits back down.

The tea is delicious and he makes sure to thank Abeno for his effort. He gets another curt nod in return.

Most of the time of his stay, he spends it petting fuzzy and listening, or reading Mononokean’s and Ashiya’s excited descriptions and Ashiya’s bickering with Abeno. The latter is something that makes him smile, because the fondness he noticed before is more open, although still buried underneath great annoyance and flickers of actual anger.

The first time  he hears Abeno making something close to laughter, a snort at something clumsy Ashiya does and his whining about it, Takashi actually makes some sense of Mononokean’s words.

Abeno is civil to him, something he appreciates and Takashi doesn’t push for friendship. The more someone is forcefully pushed, the worse they close off, he knows that from personal experience.

Sometimes Abeno sends a glare somewhere in his direction, yet not directly which is odd, but he dismisses it.

It’s a little after the sun has set when they say their goodbyes and goodnights.

And Sensei, long back from his drinking session still whines about being left alone and headbutts him. However, when he tells him where he was and what happened, all he gets is a pensive look and a ‘troublesome human’ remark.

~~

“You are damn annoying.”

The person addressed doesn’t move an inch from his lazy position as he responds.

“Don’t frown so much Itsuki, you’re too young for wrinkles.”

Haruitsuki’s face rebels against the words and frowns deeper, putting the small tadpole yokai he captured on the table, gently. It flows away in panic towards its home at the lake.

“I’d lie if I said I didn’t expect spying from you.”

“My feelings are hurt that you think so low of me. Here, take a sip; it’ll make you relax.”

“I’m underage, you perverted scum!”  he feels the vein pop on his head, “Why  were you spying on us?”

Clear blue eyes blink lazily and fake innocently at him, “I was worried about my employees. You seemed more peeved than usual when you came by a few days ago.”

“And you decided to just send yokai and peep on us?” he can feel his eyebrow twitch in annoyance, although it shouldn’t; he’s dealt so many times with the other’s whims to a point when he should have been immune.

But leave it to the Legislator to find another way to press his buttons. Or create new ones whatsoever.

“Ashiya-kun isn’t with you?” the bastard tries to change the subject.

“That toddler didn’t notice a thing. Not even a damn yokai floating inside the Mononokean.”

The Legislator hums, “He still needs work at sensing Yokai I see-”

“I don’t need your commentary!” his voice was borderline yelling, but thankfully, he reigned it in.

“Itsuki,” his outburst is taken lightly or ignored, “If you made another friend, especially one that can see yokai, you have to tell me. It’s a rule.”

He grits his teeth, “He’s not my friend. It’s Ashiya  being a freaking social butterfly.” He mutters.

“Even so.” He can hear the smirk in the others voice,  the light blue eyes are not even concealing the mirth.

Haruitsuki clicks his tongue and summons the Mononokean.

“Hey.” He calls back before he goes in.

“Hmm?”

“Do you know someone named Natsume?” he asks quickly, not bothering to feel regret about his words.

The Legislator actually drops the smirk and frowns in thought, thin blue eyebrows furrowed and takes a drag from his pipe.

After a few seconds he responds, a cheeky smile coming back on his face.

“Nope! Is she a pretty girl?”

Haruitsuki crawls in the Mononokean as fast as he can, he doesn’t need PE for this; he’s perfectly fine in physical condition.

“Later Legislator!” with a last shout, he slides the door shut and sighs in relief when he’s absolutely sure he got away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope the Mononokean 'speaking' is okay!  
> I hope you also liked it.  
> I'm about to drop dead from exhaustion so I'm leaving you for now.  
> See you in the next chapter! :)


	4. Pernicious Pairings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hei everyone! It has been a while, huh? (シ. .)シ  
> Tbh, I planned to start writing this chapter when I finished my exams at the end of the month, but I got some good news recently and I just had to, you know? So for the last couple of days, I wrote little by little and this chapter came up! It's unedited, as always am i right?, but there! Also I actually had to plan for this fic because all the ideas were piling up and I couldn't make organize them properly. Therefore, i have plans for the next 3 or 4 chapters for sure and slowly working to more! :)
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter! Kudos and comments are more than welcome!

Haruitsuki is on the brick of death; each step ahead leads him further to his demise.

“Abeno-san! Stop lazing around and do your laps!” Ashiya calls out. There is no trace of sweat on his forehead or hair, even though he has run more laps than everyone else.

Haruitsuki clicks his tongue and wipes his forehead, making a grimace from the feel of excessive amount of sweat. A shower is obligatory before he even thinks of putting on his kimono he nods to himself.

The weather is cool but it does nothing to chill him. Many other classmates of his are in the same exhausted condition but none of them as bad, which leaves him bitter and desperately wanting for this hellish class to be over already.

Glancing at Ashiya, who is excitedly conversing with Saga and Fushimi some feet in front of him.

Finally, a moment of peace- a painful, muscle straining peace, but in the end beggars can’t be choosers.

For the last couple of weeks, all Ashiya is talking about is his new friend,  _Natsume-san_. Not one to miss a chance to befriend someone, yokai or not, especially a human able to see yokai, he almost drowned the guy with questions.

Fuzzball and even  _Mononokean_  also being so amiable towards the new guy too doesn’t help the situation. The room demon never reveals themselves to humans without his permission and sure got a private scolding from Haruitsuki and warning to keep a close eye on their new guest.

There is something not quite right with the older boy that prevented him from completely shutting him out, like he intended to.

Firstly he has large amounts of spiritual aura, not same as himself but not insignificant either.

As a second fact, he’s accompanied  by a strong yokai. Even if that fat cat’s form seems measly and incompetent, Haruitsuki’s part of the job is interacting with strong yokai. He doesn’t seem that he’s controlling the cat, a relationship of odd friendship. However, there are some undertones he picked from their brief interactions that indicate something strange.

Which brings him to the last fact, that  Natsume-san is hiding something. Something important.

Ashiya is naïve enough not to pick it up, but it’s something familiar to him. Movements, eye contact, vague responses when something hit some nerve. It’s long term, ingrained into the consciousness of his very being.

The same when hiding the whole Master of the Mononokean ordeal. Or, newly, when the Executive randomly asks about Ashiya in his solo missions.

It’s  weird, finding someone that you have so much in common. But Haruitsuki will not go with the flow, like Ashiya.

And in order to avoid the drama and the nagging he would sure gotten by his employee about making friends and sharing burdens, he won’t utter a word until he figures out what is hidden. He doesn’t need his sad puppy eyes haunting him for eternity.

His musings are interrupted by the heavens redeeming him from the torture of physical education and Ashiya approaches with a bright, annoying smile.

Haruitsuki ignores him, sniffing part of his jacket and coughing in disgust. God, he needed a shower.

Obviously tipped off by being ignored, Ashiya puffs his cheeks and mumbles under his breath.

The moment he catches some of the words and the traitorous  _Natsume-san_ , his teeth grit harshly, jaw clenching tightly and his left eyebrow twitches.

~~

“Abeno-san kicked me out of the Mononokean.” Is the first sentence Ashiya pitifully utters when Takashi picks up the landline.

 His eyebrows raise to his hairline at the sudden declaration and slightly curious about the backstory behind this. Ashiya sounds both sad and annoyed at his employer’s actions and in his mind, Ashiya is always happy and should stay happy.

“Do, do you want me to come over and hang out?” he asks attentively. There is a catlike stare boring into his back but he dismisses it; it’s a common enough occurrence.

“You don’t have to Natsume-san.” The voice on the other end hasn’t lost its sad undertones, but there are hints of hope, “I’m sure you have more important things to do.”  _then why did you call me?_ he thinks fondly.

While it’s true, homework can always be done later, even in the middle of the night; there have been many times when giving back names that have kept him awake.

Now, Ashiya reminds him of a small child, not wanting to impose on the adults, but secretly wanting to and Takashi can’t refuse.

“It will be fine Ashiya-kun. I’ll take the next train I catch and will meet at the station in an hour, okay?”

The voice becomes lively, all hesitations gone , “Of course! See you then!” and he hangs up the phone.

Takashi changes to his casual clothes and goes in the kitchen to have lunch with Touko-san and Shigeru-san. He eats in hurry, catching the couple’s attention and he sheepishly, mouth semi-full says that he’ll meet a friend soon. Both pairs of brown eyes soften and Takashi isn’t allowed to leave without a packed bento so that his ‘new friend’ tries her food and gives feedback.

Sensei doesn't say much nor tries to reprimand him while waiting for the train, but his gaze is almost palpable on his skin.

"What is it?" he eventually asks, fed up with the silent treatment.

The cat's grin is like a "You're humming and tapping your foot. It's annoying." he only notices.

Both actions stop abruptly and Takashi looks straight ahead.

~~

He waves back at the eager underclassman, who still wears what appears to be like his high school uniform. It certainly has more colours than his own, and with Ashiya’s features, it seems all the more lively.

Approaching him, he takes notice that indeed there is no Abeno warily glaring at him or Fuzzy, surprisingly.

When he asks about it, Ashiya gets a tad sad but mostly sheepish.

“Abeno-san forbade them from leaving the Mononokean while he’s on the job.” He scratches the back of his neck.

He nods in understanding, “Well, why not give me a tour of the town. I’ve been here before, but I’m sure a local knows all the hidden beauties.” The other boy perks up considerably by that.

Grabbing his hand, the younger boy takes to an … interesting tour to the town. it was loud and cheerful, like its guide, with minor details about every spot they saw that made the place charming. Inwardly, Takashi vows to give an equally, if not more, amazingly detailed tour when Ashiya comes visit; he’s already rummaging through a couple of places that he assumes he’ll like. Even sensei, who seemed very reluctant to come, is enjoying some part, even though he’s concealing it. The exercise though, is not his ideal.

“I told you that you need to lose weight.” He remarks and dodges the intense pawing coming his way.

After that, early in the afternoon, they sit in the park with Ashiya munching happily Touko-san’s  bento, which was heroically saved from the gluttonous paws of a certain cat, now sulking and staring at it with pain and longing. They don’t say anything, although Ashiya’s presence is like a million things are happening. It’s pleasant, being next to such a cheerful, positive and warm person, especially when throughout his childhood all he felt was coldness.

Despite knowing him for little time, he feels confortable, like with Tanuma and Taki, and even Natori-san; all the people that know about his ability.

Ashiya gives a very detailed and delightful praise to Touko-san’s bento, even saying that he knows already that the person who made this is ‘an angel-like being, warm and caring like a doting parent’ which startled a laugh out of him. reaffirming the notions, they exchange stories about their guardians, Takashi about the kind Fujiwara couple that took him in when he needed it the most and Ashiya about his energetic, constant flower language user mother and travel hungry sister. Their words are warm and the care they have about their respective families is shining above every doubt.

In the middle of a story involving Ashiya’s mother, cacti and hedgehogs, small pattering sounds and a happy, energetic  Fuzzy nuzzles against both of them.

Ashiya gets emotional once again (Takashi guesses that each one of their reunions is overly dramatic) and Fuzzy wags their tails with vigour. They move to Takashi but stop when they see Sensei already on his lap, unwilling to go away.

Like literal cats and dogs, they have a small staring match that ends up with swapping the two yokai between their laps to prevent a possible fight. Fuzzy is just a cute and …well, fuzzy as he remember and his fingers are completely emerged by the pure white fur.

Ashiya on the other hand, seems to have some minor troubles.

 “Ouch! Why did you do that!?”

“You’re too rough, feeble human! You should worship the opportunity I gave you to rub my belly!” Sensei yells, scandalized by the treatment he gets, “And circular motions!”

“Sensei, stop tormenting Ashiya-kun!” he sighs and raises his fist as a warning. Turning to the flabbergasted boy, he smiles sheepishly and mouth a ‘don’t listen to him’. He earns a shy and grateful smile.

Suddenly, Ashiya seems to realize something and  looks over to Fuzzy, “Did Abeno-san come back?”

The yokai’s body shudders unpleasantly and their eyes close in distress. They wiggle away from Takashi and land with a leap on Ashiya’s shoulder rubbing themselves in the blue hair in distress.

“Is something wrong?” he asks with worry.

As a response, they leave and head to a nearby wall where the small door to the Mononokean appears. Ashiya puts sensei down, who holds back the whine of discomfort, and follows.

“I guess your restriction is over. I had a nice-” Takashi starts but he’s interrupted by the other boy.

“No, don’t leave! You stayed here with me without any obligations and I’m repaying the favor. At least come inside! The more the merrier, as the Mononokean says.” He drags him once more to the door, motioning to come inside after him. Bright blue puppy eyes look at him expectantly and he caves in within seconds.

Going inside with sensei the first thing he sees is the scroll with messages already on.

**WELCOME BACK ASHIYA! (** **≧** **▽≦** **)/**

The message changes quickly with a chime of the bell.

**NATSUME-KUN! HI ! WELCOME BACK AS WELL! (o^ ^o)/**

His lips part to utter a response when he finally takes in the guest that should have been the first person his eyes land on, as they occupy the center of the room.

Blue and overly mischievous eyes lock with his own and Takashi fully understands the earlier display of distress Fuzzy had, and still has as shown by the way they cling to Ashiya. Glancing back at Sensei, he is surprised to notice that he’s tense, the hairs on his back raised.

Judging that it might be something he has no part of, he opens  the door again before it closes completely, “I should be going.”

“Nonsense.” the elegantly dressed yokai, similarly so to Abeno’s style, gives him a dismissive wave, “I wouldn’t want chase away my dear employees’ friend. Besides, I’m not here on business.” he smiles and Takashi is not relaxed in the least.

Such impish smiles almost never had happy outcomes.

As he processes the words, his eyes become all the more widened.

_So even the Master of Mononokean has a boss_ , he ponders.

“I’m here for this.” he nods his head on the corner behind him, where a barrel is located.

Ashiya sputters suddenly and he can decipher the words why, how, when repeated more than once.

The Legislator laughs at the display and reaches for the barrel and opens it. The strong smell of sake hit their senses.

“I found Katahaku-san and he asked me if the sake was delivered.  And you didn’t tell me anything.” He sounds almost _pouty_ at not being included and fills a cup with sake. Before he takes a sip he raises it in question.

“Do you want some?”

Both him and Ashiya answer in bewilderment, “I’m underage!”

However Nyanko –sensei is not above snatching the cup and drinking it whole in one gulp. His previous resistance and wariness gone in fractions of seconds.

~~

The hour is getting more and more exhausting.

The two yokai drink their sake like water; Sensei seems to have met his match as the Legislator seems sober except from the slightly flushed cheeks, while sensei…well, let’s just say he has blackmail material on him for a long time. Takashi tries with all his might to take it away from the and stop him from drinking his actual yokai weight in alcohol and imposing any further, but he always gets loud complaints and all kinds of butting and pawing.

And to top his bad luck, Sensei seems to have an accomplice this time, as the Legislator sits next to him and laughs at his attempts to be sane.

“Just let him drink, Natsume-kun! It’s all good fun.”

“He drinks too much…” he mumbles and the yokai laughs softly some more.

“You remind me of Haruitsuki, always worrying your pretty little heads over everything.”

Takashi frowns at the wording, “I’m a boy, if you didn’t realize.” but he knows the yokai has realized it because the Yokai smirks and hums knowingly.

The two of them watch as sensei flops over Ashiya’s lap with wobbly little legs and demands another belly rub, ‘just like he did it’. When the boy hesitated, Sensei punch his stomach, which in turn made Fuzzy headbutt sensei out of Ashiya’s lap in order to defend his honor.

He takes the cat in his own lap and doing what Ashiya should have. Sensei appears happy either way if his usual drunk bossiness was any indication. It’s the more active and moving he’s seen the cat in a while, but then again, food and booze always gets him going.

“Are you okay with this?” he asks the Mononokean with furrowed eyebrows, “It’s a mess in there and the whole room smells of the sake.” His nose winkles as a reaction.

A chime gives him the answer.

**OF COURSE! A PARTY ROOM IS FULL OF HAPPINESS AND SOUL! THE MORE SMILES THE BETTER! (づ** **◡** **﹏** **◡** **)づ**

**I ONLY WISH I COULD JOIN THE DRINKING  o(TヘTo)**

“I only wish  you could drink with me too Mononokean,” the Legislator agrees, now sitting close to Ashiya and pulling Fuzzy out of him face, “All those youngsters are a pretty company but not a fun one.” He sighs and raises his cup to the scroll as cheers.

“I don’t want your sex and liquor addiction all over my work place, incompetent boss.” A new voice chimes in.

All eyes turn to see Abeno standing in his usual formal kimono, arms crossed and glaring at each one of them, especially the blue haired yokai, who doesn’t seem the least bit bothered.

“Ah, welcome back Itsuki.”the Legislator flashes a charming smile at the blonde, who doesn’t budge.

“Abeno-san!” Ashiya exclaims before Abeno can lay it on the Legislator. Standing in front of his employer Ashiya takes the exact same pose with crossed arms and straight back. Their slight height difference gives him a slight advantage.

“You left me outside the Mononokean and I couldn’t get in!” he states with annoyance and slight anger.

Abeno raises one eyebrow, not at all impressed with his employee, “and you as always didn’t follow my orders. Besides, you seem to have found company to fill your time.” Takashi doesn’t miss the implication of the words.

But Ashiya did, but that doesn’t stop him from getting angrier, “I could have helped you with the job!” he argues.

“You weren’t needed.” Is the sharp and hurtful response. Ashiya is surprised and his posture deflates visibly.

He doesn’t care whether he’ll escalate the argument or whether stepping between them will get all of them in trouble, because Takashi will not this go further. He moves to stand up but a voice and a pressure puts him back in place with a shudder.

“Itsuki.”

Everyone in room goes silent; only the sober voice of the Legislator leads the conversation, not even Sensei’s drunken snoring is sounded.

The yokai lights up a pipe he pulls out of his kimono, exhaling smoke all over, “This is no way to speak to your employee. Mend your realationship while you’re walking Ashiya-kun back to his house.” He opens the small door and outside they see the park they were hanging out before.

“It’s a rule, Itsuki.”

Abeno’s face is unreadable while him and Ashiya walk to the door and exit it silently.

Then there is him, the Legislator and an asleep drunk and heavy cat on his lap.

 “Don’t worry, they’re always like that.”

“Abeno-san was still really hurtful.” He stares the yokai dead on.

A laugh breaks the tension Takashi has in his muscles just the slightest and watches another cloud of smoke appearing.

“That’s just Itsuki doing things his way. He shows it differently and weirdly, if I’m honest.” He chuckles to himself.

“They’ll be fine. Ashiya-kun’s doesn’t hold grudges and doesn’t take too much on Itsuki’s  personality.”

Takashi isn’t completely convinced.

“You seem worried.” Another cloud of smoke.

Takashi’s frown deepens, “Of course I am. Ashiya-kun is my friend!” realizing he’d raised his voice enough to even way up Sensei, he give a small, half-hearted apology.

The Legislator doesn’t say anything but a hum and a brief glance at the Mononokean’s scroll.

“Well, I’m sure they’ve already made up, those dramatic children.” He calls the Mononokean to take them near Takashi’s home and urges him to leave the Mononokean and not to worry.

Takashi does so only not to cause any more trouble to Ashiya. With Sensei in his arms, awake and soberly staring at the blue haired yokai, he give him a slight nod before he closes the door and sighs in relief when he enters his house. Touko-san is visibly worried but when he tranfers Ashiya’s praise of the bento and how his day was, her smile returned and made her years younger.

His sleep is restless, filled with questions until a yokai comes through his window after midnight to get their name back. After that, sleep is much easier due to exhaustion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to declare my love for the Legislator! I love him so much. I'm anxious to see if you liked the way i wrote him.  
> Also, i plan to make many chapters where the characters are just boys their age and so if you have some ideas please tell me (for example i totally plan on making a chapter where Abeno and Ashiya hang out Fushimi and Saga - those two precious boy are getting blown off all the time which is close to being a dick move, so i want to appreciate them some) can be anything, ideas for festivals, minor things.  
> And even though i asked this again, yokai suggestions, new or if you want someone to return from an episode/chapter (write said episode chapter so i can revisit.) I'd love to write them! 
> 
> Hope you liked it!


	5. Witness (once again)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays everyone!! :) I hope you are having fun and are well however you spend your days!   
> I want to apologize for taking so long to past this chapter and for losing so many month of my supposed 'monthly' update schedule.   
> I'm not going to bother you with my anxiety problems, but let's just say that it was even worse during December.  
> Secondly, I cannot for the life of me promise that the monthly updates are going to be regular. I want them to be and I will try my best, but with exam season in January, everything is nullified immediately.
> 
> Now, about the chapter... I planned on doing another more easy going one but after so long, i said 'fuck it' and wrote what i was itching for... and what many of you asked in a way actually. We're all sadists deep down...  
> It's not perfect and i apologize for the mistakes but I did my best and i hope you enjoy what we were all waiting for! ;P

Because today is Saturday, Takashi allows himself to be a little lazy. His homework is halfway done on Friday and with all the yokai that he tended to during the night, sleeping in is a luxury. Touko-san seemed more than eager to let him to do so, leaving her more noisy works for when he woke up. Although he always made sure to help her with those when he wakes.

Nyanko-sensei hypocritically judges him for it, as his breakfast meal is delayed by a few hours, like he doesn’t sleep in too or snack whenever he pleases.

He wakes up easily, maybe because he’s always in alert of his surroundings, but also well rested.  He stretches his limbs just to hear his knuckles pop and changes out of his pajamas to head down, waking sensei up in the process.

Touko-san is having her morning tea on the outside porch, laundry hung on the backyard. Her back is turned to Takashi, but from what he can see, she’s not tense and they move slowly as she takes a deep breath after the other, breathing in and enjoying the fresh, clean air.

Takashi moves with slow, purposefully loud steps to alert her of his presence, “Good morning Touko-san.” he greets and takes a seat next to her, making sure to not be too close nor too far from her.

She smiles brightly and sets her cup down, “Good morning Takashi-kun! Did you sleep well?”

“I did, thank you.” he smiles back, albeit a bit groggily.

“I’m glad. I’m going to go prepare breakfast for you, okay?” she leans to get up, but Takashi intervenes before she takes a stand.

“Please, sit here a little longer. I’d hate to take you out of you relaxation time.” the older woman opens her mouth to reassure him but Takashi insists, “Besides, I am not really hungry yet. I just woke up.”

She sighs, seeing thought his attempt, but caves in none the less. Nyanko-sensei takes advantage of the opportunity and lays his round self onto her lap, earning a laugh from both; Touko’s from the cat’s ‘cute’ antics and Takashi from pure exasperation.

They stand there in peaceful silence, feeling the breeze on their skin and flowing in their hair.

Takashi makes sure to be discreet when glancing at his guardian; not wanting her to worry with all the emotion that flows in his eyes.

It’s moments like this, without yokai, without him running around in some quest; it’s moments like this, casual, ordinary, that he has the time to stand and let his mind realize how lucky he is to be here, with those wonderful people.

There is still darkness clawing in his heart, thorns wrapping around his lungs and mind and piecing them with their thorns, still plaguing him. Fear that the Fujiwaras are going to realize that they can do better than a scrawny, damaged kid that causes them misfortune.

There is a soft pressure wrapping around his hand. He turns to the gleeful face of Touko-san, eager in some way that makes her seem younger and even brighter, if that is possible.

“I almost forgot Takashi-kun.” Luckily for him,  she didn’t notice his inner turmoil, or if she did, she didn’t mention it; Takashi is grateful.

“Someone asked for you on the phone an hour or so ago.” she continues, “Ashiya-kun, his name was. He sounded like a very nice young man. Very excitable too!” she chuckles at remembering, “I told him you’d call him back when you woke up.” She pats his knee and this time, she fully stands up.

“Call him while I make breakfast, okay Takashi-kun?” she goes back to the house.

He stands in the porch, jolting in surprise when Sensei punches him with his paw.

“Ouch!” He punches back the cat as a reflex.

“You’re getting close to that Ashiya brat.” He scoffs.

Takashi doesn’t answer. He too gets up and his feet take him to the landline, staring at it like it’s an alien creation.

He’s never had someone ask for him for something other than when it was time to pass him to another relative or talk about a possible inheritance and paper work.

He finds the piece of paper where he keeps the phone numbers of his friends, as he doesn’t have a phone himself and the landline is the only way to contact them and steps down the stairs while trying not to trip on Sensei.

With fidgeting fingers on the hem of his shirt, he presses each number carefully and listening intensely when the other line rings once, twice before a familiar cheery voice greets him with an inquisitive and very polite ‘hello’.

~~

The station is more crowded today than the other days, but in the small town they live in, it’s not considered  that many people.

Takashi checks the clock once more and the side of the platform to make sure he’s here in the right time and is looking at the correct side. Nyanko-sensei is trying to cheat his way in the vending machine,  trying to sneak snacks out of it. He takes flight in Takashi’s legs when a particularly eager and cheery toddler approaches him, small hands making grabby motions towards him.

The cat gives him a scalding glare when a laugh escapes his lips.

He was about to tease Sensei about how his ‘almighty’ self, the train arrives and Takashi subconsciously straightens his posture.

The doors open and it’s not hard to spot Ashiya and Abeno, for one the former’s unique hair colour and the latter’s formal and unusual clothing more than his bright hair, makes them easy to spot immediately and secondly, they’re two of the only five people that get off this station. Fuzzy too, standing at Ashiya’s shoulder and wiggling their too cute, round tails was evident too.

Takashi watches the younger looking around, similar to an excitable puppy, until they lock eyes and Ashiya lights up from happiness, waving at him until they are literally in front of easy other, with Abeno approaching slower and almost robotic pace.

it’s surreal, seeing someone, a human moreover, be this glad to see him, of all people. To actively ask them to hang out. Even after so much time being friends with Tanuma, Taki, Nishimura and Kitamoto, he still can’t get used to the feeling.

“Good morning Natsume-san! Good morning Nyanko-sensei!” The younger boy grins.

Sensei addressed the boy with a dramatic ‘hurrrmph’ and jumps on Takashi’s shoulder.

“Good  morning Ashiya-kun.” He replies and nods to the other boy and smiles at him too, “Abeno-kun, good morning.”

Abeno just grunts and nods in response and straightens his back, still keeping intense eye contact.  His frown doesn’t soften either.

“Anyway!” Ashiya quips, unknown whether he sensed the tension or not, “We have a job here and I thought maybe I could take your offer for that tour you promised! We’ll arrive at the job faster too.”

“I know the way. It’s you that has the  orientation skills of a five year old toddler.” Abeno speaks for the first time.

“That’s not true Abeno-san, and you know it!” Ashiya argues back.

“So three weeks ago, you arrived at the riverside for that delivery on time?” The other raises an inquiring and bit mocking eyebrow at the other.

“That was one time!”

“Really? What about two months ago, when we-”

“Are you humans going to continue this quarrel and waste my precious time?”

Oddly, it’s not Takashi that interrupts their bantering, but Sensei. The cat is heavy on Takashi’s shoulder and with one amber and one sky blue gaze on him, he feels even heavier.  “Sensei” he starts hissing in scolding but he’s interrupted by Fuzzy jumping onto his arms; he catches them in surprise and by reflex. He starts patting the white, soft fur, focusing on that and not looking up “Of course I’ll take you to where you want to go. I wouldn’t have offered otherwise.” He stretches his arms a little, enough for Fuzzy and Sensei to stop pawing at each other, “Let’s go?”

“Lead the way Natsume-san!”  Ashiya cheers, demeanor shining as if the previous argument is too common to stay on his mind for long.

~~

Hanae is in awe with the beauty of the town he’s currently at.

It  exhumes an air of calmness, like time is of no importance and worries flow out of the place like the river they pass by.

It’s a lot like his new friend, he notices; calm and collected most of the time and most of all _gentle_ to all.

But the town has secrets too, if the job he are assigned and the plethora of yokai he spots everywhere, from dark, hard to notice corners to plain sight are any indications.

Once again, so is Natsume-san.

Hanae is not very good on deducing someone’s emotions or spot how they are feeling by the way of how they tense or avert their eyes, unless it’s too obvious of course. His way is more of gut feeling, of sensing an aura around a person, or yokai and choosing on whether to believe that feeling or not and acts upon that.

By looking Natsume, he feels calm, _accepted_ , if that makes sense. Not that he hasn’t been by his friends and even Abeno-san, despite showing it in his own, borderline sadistic way. It’s similar and different and there are no words that he knows useful enough to express it. All he can do is liken Natsume to the small town he lives in.

The job is not exactly on his town, he’s explained; it’s actually in the border between this and one neighboring town but because someone can get easily on foot there if they start from here is easier than from the other town that is more towards the mountain, they say it belongs to his area.

Both Hanae and Natsume watch with obvious and hidden amusement respectively as Abeno scrunches his nose up in disgust at the mention of how long it takes to get there (not long in reality, but always too long and tedious for Abeno).

But Hanae’s own amusement is slowly dissipates when they are taken to the place where their job is after the fantastic tour they got. He’s clutching to Fuzzy as the open field disappears and they end up roaming a sea of trees seemingly without purpose and he almost trips more than once, each time catching Abeno’s expectant stare and sometimes sleeve, like he knew this was going to happen and multiple times so. To his surprise the one that expressed the most exasperation was the Nyanko-san, the cat trotting next to Natsume, mumbling about humans and the latter in a stark contrast always asked if he was alright.

“Don’t worry Natsume-san!” Hanae would always answer with a beam, “It’s nothing compared to the injuries I used to get!”

That rose a few eyebrows but no one commented further, even if the comment seemed to be on the edge of their tongue.

When they finally arrive to their destination, midday was long gone but luckily sunlight is still lighting up the place.

Which is good, because Hanae wouldn’t step a toe in that place in the nighttime.

The large open cave is dark on the inside, hiding the job they have to do, but with just looking the ominous entrance makes him get a shiver down his spine.

It seems like the place Yahiko likes to play in; disturbing and possibly full of vengeful ghosts that lurk around for the chance to play with possible meat bags and afterwards possess them and their own souls will be left in their place, crying for eternity—

Something touches his shoulder abruptly and with a high pitched shriek latches his whole body on the closest body he can find, which is Natsume’s, to the point where he looks like he’s giving the older a tight hug.

“Woah!” The latter obviously jumps too at the sudden weight on him and barely manages to balance them both so they don’t topple on the ground.

“I’m so sorry Natsume-san!” he apologizes loudly, the words echoing in the forest.

“Keep your voice down, you idiot.”

Hanae removes himself from Natsume and glares at his employer.

“Don’t scare me like that Abeno-san!” he protests when his breath evens. Abeno ignores him and walks past them towards the cave’s opening. There is the slightest pull on his lips that Hanae wouldn’t have noticed if he wasn’t paying attention.

“Are you okay Ashiya-kun?” Hanae’s shock lessens at the concerned tone of Natsume-san’s voice, partly because of guilt.

“I’m not good with ghosts and haunted places.” He admits with a sheepish grin in an effort to make things lighter and hoping not to be judged or pointed out of the contrast because that statement and his job.

And thankfully he doesn’t get either of those, “It’s okay.” he gives Hanae an amused but not mean laugh.

As they walk inside the cave, the light gets thinner and thinner, as well as the sounds of the nature and they are being replaced by drops of water and their steps echoing on the walls of the cave.

They halt their steps when they face a pathway that branches into two smaller ones. They appear completely identical and the become darker as they deepen, to the point where only stone walls are visible from where they are.

“Abeno-san?” he asks with a slight stutter, clutching a trembling Fuzzy in his arms and comforting himself as his fingers roam the white fur.

“What?” Hanae resists the urge to openly gape at the other’s nonchalant demeanor, like this isn’t just a recipe for a disaster.

“What _exactly_ are we retrieving?” if he knew that it was going to be like _this_ , he would have prepared himself mentally  at least.

“Two boxes.” He raises two fingers to show as if he’s really talking to a five-year-old, “One has a tongue and one has a pair of eyes in it.” He states like it’s nothing big or remotely creepy.

“What?!” this time, Hanae give in and lets his jaw drop. He feels the blood draining from his head and he feels dizzy.

 “We don’t open the boxes, you toddler!” Abeno tsks and shakes his head, “One is possibly on each of those paths. So we slit up.” and with that he goes forth on the left path, leaving them behind.

“Fuzzball, come.” He beckons and Fuzzy wiggles out of Hanae’s now confused and mostly betrayed arms and follows Abeno until they are shallowed by the darkness.

“You don’t have to do this.” he tells Natsume with an awkward smile and shuffling his feet on the ground.

“I wasn’t planning on leaving.” The other answers sincerely, “Unless you don’t want me here, of course. I understand that matters like this are confidential-”

“No!” Hanae waves his hands as if to literary stop the misunderstanding from arriving, “It’s not confidential… I think. Abeno-san takes the confidential jobs mostly alone, being the master of the Mononokean and all that.” he looks at the right path and sighs, “I won’t stop you if you want to come. This cave is giving me the creeps and company would be great!”

With a nod and an encouraging smile as an answer, the two walk the path carefully, aware of every noise they hear. Thankfully it’s not as dark as they feared, mostly thanks to Nyanko sensei, who uses some of his energy to create some light to guide them better.

It’s a deceptively short tunnel and it makes Hanae cheer and tear up a little from relief on the inside.

The space opens and the sound of water escalates from drops to a small stream the spot soon after. There is moss and weeds in many spots around and the openings of fallen stone or gaps formed from the passage of time give the place the natural light and the smell of outside and a less claustrophobic feeling.

His eyes fall into the box they’re looking for with ease as it’s place in a small stone shrine on the exact opposite of the entrance they came from. Approaching it with slow steps, Hanae tries to put the theory he’s been currently working on into practice and makes an attempt to sense if there are any yokai around them; to his disappointment, it ends up with failure. He can’t feel anyone here, except the feeling that Fuzzy is somewhere around, but that’s probably because he’s become very much accustomed to their aura or the fact that he subconsciously knows the general direction they headed to.

Inspecting the box further, it appears old but not frayed; wooden with elegant craving and sealing tags with kanji and symbols that telltale the importance of the item inside and that it certainly must not be opened.

Not that Hanae would either way; now that he knows the horror that’s inside (he can’t decide if the tongue or the eyes are the worst case scenario), there is not a chance he’s going to risk his delicious dinner his dear mom made.

With careful and slightly shaking fingers, he lifts the box and holds his breath in anxiety. After twenty carefully counted seconds, he releases the breath he was holding in relief.

“whew.”  He smiles at an amused but also cautious Natsume and together turn their heels to escape.

However, their relief is short lived as their exit is slowly getting sealed by thick, velvety looking moss.

“Ashiya-kun, run!” Natsume yells and Hanae’s legs gain a mind of their own.

The years of vigorous exercise once again save his life in a dire situation as they escape by a hair, before it’s closed off with a thick, moist wall of moss.

This time, the sigh of relief doesn’t come as a rumble from behind them sends an unpleasant shiver down his spine that makes his muscles freeze and his breath come out sharp.

“Humans~” the raspy and thunderous voice behind them stills his heart like a vice, “you stole from me~” it hisses approaching.

They don’t stay any longer to hear the rest.

_Run! Run! Run! Runrunrunrunrun_ is all Hanae’s hearing, Natsume-san’s plea turns into his own voice chanting it over and over.

The trees they pass are a blur and the only thing that reminds him that he’s actually running is the cold, harsh wind hitting his face from the speed.

There is no a destination in his mind, other than _away._

He finally stops when he is back on an open field, when the threats stop after a sudden light shining and a terrifying roar that has the hairs on his neck rising.

Then deafening silence.

It’s neither comforting nor threatening, he isn’t sure which is true, but the adrenaline lowers enough for the physical strain to become apparent; Hanae’s knees tremble and his breath remains short and painful for his lungs that it’s a miracle that he’s not passed out already.

Next thing he senses is the vicious grip on the box; white –knuckled, nails scratching the tags and the pain caused by the corners of the box digging into the sensitive part of his elbows, his forearms and collarbones. He loosens his grip and tries to regulate his breath, also being in alert if need be.

“Ashiya-kun!” he hears from behind him, “Are you alright?” Natsume-san pants in between the words, face flustered with exhaustion but smiling none the less when he sees Hanae. “Are you hurt?”

 He shakes his head and tries to smile but it results in a stiff grimace.

“What,” he chokes a little on the lump stuck in his throat, “What about the yokai that chased after us?” he asks in a one hurried sentence.

There is a flicker of uncertainty in Natsume’s amber eyes but he smiles none the less, “We lost them and they went back to the cave. Seems like there was only so much space they could move freely in.”

It would be the perfect time for Hanae to relax, but the sight he faces when he raises his head stops him from moving.

He’d find this an awfully familiar feeling if his thoughts were capable of being cohesive at all right now.

But he’s focused on another, new threatening looking yokai looming above them; white fur with red markings sparse on their body, the size of which can crush- is already crashing in a way- Hanae without effort.

Just the thought drains the blood off of his veins and it becomes a weight that drags him to kneeling onto the ground, forehead touching the dirty grass and box still clutched in his arms.

~~

“Ashiya-kun!”  Takashi screams, feeling his eyes well up with tears of frustration with his own fear and helplessness.

He gently shakes the other by the shoulders and when that doesn’t work, he rubs his forearms a bit to settle the shiver and the coldness the other emits. Ashiya’s eyes are still hazed, the bright and cheerful baby blue colour faded into and dull and almost transparent greyish-bluish hue; he’s too immersed into his own mind that he can’t hear Takashi’s pleas or feel his own body being moved and shaken.

While focusing too much on the boy in front of him, he doesn’t register another presence coming until it violently and uncaringly pulls him by the collar of the shirt and throws him away with bruising force, until he’s just by Sensei’s paws.

Sitting up, he sees the familiar violet kimono belonging to Abeno, who is now doing what Takashi was seconds ago. Fuzzy is trying to make themselves known in Ashiya’s arms, like a puppy when they feel their owner is not well and needs company.

Takashi groans as he tries to get up, but he doesn’t get the chance as he’s under the vicious glare of the Master of the Mononokean, who is stomping towards him, previous grace or sense of his clothing getting dirty forgotten.

Once again, he’s grabbed but the collar, this time by the front.  “You bastard!” the other is on his face, lips pulled into a furious snarl and amber eyes filled with rage.

“Watch your tone kid.” the roar Sensei lets is low in volume but the warning speaks the loudest it could be.

Abeno’s stare flies upwards, but he expression is not tainted by fear at all. Releasing his grip on Takashi, making him fall into the ground with a thump, he steps back.

His gaze on Sensei remain steely and his posture is straight as a plank, tense shoulder and raised head while also hiding Ashiya behind him, shielding him completely from Takashi.

“Revert.” He states coldly and like an order that’s been held back.

Sensei is not budging, meeting the stare evenly, with flickers of mistimed curiosity and intrigue.

As the moments pass and Sensei is not meeting the request, Abeno clicks his tongue and looks over his shoulder briefly before repeating.

“Revert.”

“Are you going to force me to, _brat_?” Sensei sneers and it reminds Takashi of the first time they met, when Madara was intimidating and unfamiliar and looking as out of this world as he was, powerful and unyielding like a storm of another great force of nature.

 The look on Abeno’s eyes sharpens when it lands back to Takashi and he extends his palm towards them. Before any questions can arise, there is a veil of energy surrounding the Master of Mononokean. It’s more visible on the extended hand, flickering like fire but not burning.

“If I have to.”

Sensei growls, out of anger or annoyance it’s unsure, and Takashi gets a chance to glance at Ashiya, who shrinks to himself even more than thought possible, still in his own haze even if Fuzzy is rubbing their whole body to provide some warmth and comfort.

At that, realization dawns on him and he curses himself that it didn’t occur to him at all.

He stumbles onto his feet and lays a hand on one of Madara’s front legs, “Sensei, please.” He pleads with him in a pitiful, wet whisper.

By the way Madara’s left ear twitches, he has heard Takashi, even if he doesn’t respond verbally. And the transformation isn’t immediate, but there is hesitation and calculating looks in between.

Nyanko-sensei lands from a cloud of smoke into Takashi’s arms, making himself comfortable by wiggling in his arms, unbothered and uncaring of the situation and the present conflict.

The air dissipates and becomes clearer, from both Madara’s overwhelming presence and Abeno extinguishing the flame-like aura around him, but ultimately Takashi doesn’t see how this affects Ashiya as his employers is leaned above him and obscuring the view.

When he decides to walk over and see by himself, he’s stopped with the first  couple of steps.

“Stay back!” Abeno yells at him with distaste, his back still turned to him.

The words and the silent accusation they carry drain Takashi  to the bone with devastation and he bites his lips harshly and bloodily, with the want to help here but voiceless.

And most of all _unwanted and harmful_.

He stays planted to the ground and watches as Abeno calls the Mononokean and helps an afraid and downcast Ashiya inside, leaving him alone and looking to the direction they left until Sensei nudges him softly and takes them back.

Thankfully, Madara had plenty of long fur to hide in and make the tiny wet spots and the hairs torn from the taut grip pass as insignificant.


	6. Waits & Weights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hei everyone!  
> I'm sorry for taking so long; life just happened and I didn't update.  
> Thank you for waiting for me, your support on this fic and your wondeful comments. I really wish I could have updated sooner. (oh and happy 2018 everyone :P Yes I am that late!)  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter and I'm sorry for any mistakes you may find. Also I played a little with the italics and the bold 'cause I felt a little fancy :P  
> Always happy to read your comments! Keep it up if you want to! I always try my best to answer, even though apparently I suck at expressing my gratitude without repeating myself over and over. I just get so overwhelmed that even if i think about it, my brain just farts! But I mean it every time and I want you all to know. :)  
> Happy reading!

_He wakes up, feeling heavy like when after an afternoon nap._

_Looking around, everything is quiet. It takes a while until his eyes gain the strength to be open._

_But when they do, there is no difference between the darkness before and the darkness now._

_He blinks a couple of times to adjust his vision but it’s a pointless effort._

_Lips open to let out a yell but no sound comes out. His throat is not constrained; it just feels like he has no voice._

_With batted breath, his legs take him forward ( **or is it back?  He sure can’t tell the difference again** ).The steps are equally as silent._

_It feels like the void is described to feel._

_Again and again, his voice is non-existent. His ears are ringing from the odd loudness of the silence._

_Walking is the only option to at least try to find a way out. Towards a resemblance of a light._

_Then, a feeling caresses his legs and with voiceless surprise, jerks his leg away, tripping on uneven ( **or is it really?** ) ground._

_His sense of touch is numb as he pushes the ground to stand up. It has no temperature ( **or not? Maybe it’s a normal temperature so used to feel everywhere and now can’t register at all?** ), no roughness ( **again, does it?** ), nothing ( **really?** )_

_The feeling on his legs comes back, and it is a feeling at least. It’s smooth and feathery. Little tendrils that slowly wrap around his ankles and keeping him in place. He stops it before it’s too late, ( **late for what?** ) out of pure instinct. _

_He gets up and runs, one of the things he can rely on, the knowledge that he’s good at what he does._

_The tendrils touch him desperately every time his feet are close enough._

_There is still no sign of light. Nowhere._

_His eyes feel open as his eyelids touch themselves with every time he blinks._

_With so much running he is bound to be sweaty and hot, but as a motif of this place, he feels nothing dripping on his forehead and temples._

_At least his lungs are getting tired, one familiar feeling in this place; breathing becomes harder and it’s a matter of time until he’s too tired to continue and finally stops._

_The tendrils are crawling on him, faster but not tired. It’s unknown if they are sentient to do so and by now the hope of escaping them is inevitable draining from his mind moment by moment._

_And when that time comes, and it comes, slowly and all the more filled with resignation, the tendrils waste no time to envelop him and pull him down…_

_…and down…_

_…and down…_

 

~~

The bell finally rings after forty five torturing minutes; they pass much less enjoyably and far more tediously when you’re awake.

Haruitsuki mechanically puts his things back to his back careful and slowly and walks out of the classroom.

“Abenon!” Fushimi calls to loudly for his tired ears to bare but nonetheless he stops and turns.

Him and Saga are holding papers of their own and extended to him, “Here, these are for Ashiyan.”

“Is he any better? It’s been two days.”

He takes the papers with gratefulness; he might have dozed of more than once and possibly missed some things, “He’s still in bed.” It’s the settling truth.

“Well he did spend the first week of school at the nurse office and he was back like a champ. I’m sure he’ll be fine.” Saga confidently allays, hitting him on the back with force and even if he wasn’t this tired, he’d still stumble on his step.

A nod is his final response, along with a poor excuse of a murmured goodbye and walks towards the roof, uncharacteristically careless of whether someone sees. Most of them won’t care either way, too eager of going home.

When he enters the Mononokean his tone of voice doesn’t get higher as he dull it greets them.

Putting his bag away, he doesn’t bother changing his clothes and lays on the floor, covering his face with his uniform jacket.

It’s a rabbit’s nap that takes no less than an hour, and that half aware of everything around him, just in case the chime echoes. Or maybe afraid of the nightmares that will surely haunt him if he dwells deeper into the its false security.

Thankfully it all stays silent ‘till the end.

Taking a couple of minutes to fix his hair and make his uniform look presentable, he grabs his heavy school bag and opens the door the outside world.

Of course it’s still bright as not much time has passed, but Haruitsuki wishes the night had fallen. With a raised palm to block the annoying sunlight, he walks the couple of meters remaining towards the tall colorful building, his steps heavier and difficult to execute as he approaches.

With a deep breath and a final attempt to make his shoulders appear straight like always and not like he’s being pulled up by an awful puppeteer, he knock the door with the right name twice, hearing it echo on the other side.

Steps are nearing and in seconds a woman opens the door. Shorter than him, he has to look down to properly address her.

It’s strange, to look into blue eyes and blue hair from above instead of the same height.

“Abeno-kun! Welcome!” Ashiya-san greets him with a happy smile, “Come in, come in!” she beckons him inside.

“Pardon the intrusion.” He says and neatly arranges his shoes with the others, next to a pair of worn sneakers.

“Are you hungry?” the woman asks, “If only you could have come half an hour sooner, we’d be eating together. Never mind! I cooked too much and there is plenty for seconds if you want. Here.” She hands him a heavy bento.

“I could possible bother you more. Besides, I already ate at home.” He’s used to lying and so the words come out smoothly and casually, but their taste is horrible as he watches her smile flatter but still holding on.

It’s the reason that a couple of hours later, he will cave in her request to eat something, like the other times.

“Of course, you went home for the day as well.” she laughs weakly and retreats her hand still holding the food, “I’ll keep it for Hanae for when he wakes, that boy’s appetite triples every time he recovers from getting sick. When he wakes up, he’ll even try to eat the flowers.” She chuckles.

Haruitsuki chest tightens.

“Can I…?” he trails off, hesitant like the other times.

And just like clockwork, “Of course! They changed the serums so he’s taking his fluids well.”   

With a mindless nod, he settles his bag on one of the chairs and takes a seat in the other. It’s not close to the hospital bed but as time has proven, eventually it will be.

“I have to be at the shop in a little bit.” He hears her mumble worriedly to herself, whether voluntarily he doesn’t know, then she turns to him as if she is obligated to explain,“My daughter is not here, she planned a trip with her friends and she won’t be here for a little while. I told her Hanae’d be fine and she calls every day but the shop is alone and-”

“I’ll stay here until you come back.”

Her bright blue eyes widen and she puts her hands in front of her to refuse, “I can’t of course, you’re coming by every day since the beginning. And it’s a school night! I can’t let you stay here and tire yourself.”

_Too late for that_ , Haruitsuki frowns as softly as he can not to show too much apart from mild displeasure. He feels a want to go back, to run away and hide in the Mononokean until Ashiya comes back on his own with a smile and loud, emotional words, like nothing happened.

Like Haruitsuki didn’t let him down again.

“I want to. Stay, I mean.”

Ashiya-san is kind enough, of course she is, to not question any further, but stubbornly leaves the bento on the table with a meaningfully loud thud.

When the door closes, the silence is heavy and uncomfortably foreign. Even Fuzzy hasn’t made any sounds or movements towards him, sitting on Ashiya’s lap or moving to nuzzle on his hand. Their eyes are anxious but not pessimistic, used to waiting by now from their past experiences.

Haruitsuki starts his hopefully short lived routine, taking his books out and studying. At the last pages of his notebook he makes notes of notes. Everything he’s written along with Fushimi’s and Saga’s notes into a comprehensive lesson by itself in short, simple but substantial sentences, meant for someone that gets distracted easily, has missed lessons and doesn’t comprehend the subject. Ashiya for all his stamina and focus on sports, is a horrible study partner, shifting on his seat and eyes wondering outside or anywhere really away from his materials.

The hours pass, the doctors come and go and do their job, reassuring him that he’s fine. Haruitsuki nods in semi-understanding, knowing what the cause but not the effect.

As time passes, his chair is slowly moving towards the bed. His stomach growls and he yes the leftover bento with a mixture of emotions. He really shouldn’t and he can hold his hunger until he’s on the verge of passing out of famine (he’s done it before in his middle school days and it was not that bad, he was getting a much needed nap out of it too). His homework was written, the notes were arranged and even a report from a job was neatly written with a brush on a scroll (when it comes to the work of the Master of the Mononikean, Haruitsuki has learned to overcome human needs for as long as it takes or until the breaking point). There is nothing to occupy his hands with.

So he attentively unwraps the cloth, claps his hands in a quick but sincere prayer and thank you and slowly eats while staring at the floor of the room, filthy and clean at the same time.

The food Ashiya-san has made is delicious but his taste buds quickly turn it into the taste of grass because it feels wrong to be here and even more wrong to stay and for so long.

He finishes it out of pure obligation to both himself and the its kind maker, wrapping it back up on the cloth and putting it away gently.

All the while the beeps of the machine are beeping rhythmically like a clock, showing no change at all. Haruitsuki runs a hand through his hair, messing it up even more and his eyes can’t help but raise up.

Seeing Ashiya laying so still is odd; normally, from the times he’s found him asleep on the Mononokean, his limbs are extended all over the place, in odd angles and with his positions taking over a huge part of the already small room demon.  Now it’s like the bed is shallowing him whole, covered in the same colored sheets. The only thing that’s the same is the tousled hair all over the pillow, guaranteeing that he’ll have a bad case of a bedhead when he wakes up and Hairball laying on top of him, moving from his chest to his lap.

With a loud sigh he slumps back on the chair, looking at the too bright of a ceiling to keep his eyes open. He listens to his breath and heart beat that accompanied with the machine’s beeping and the clock ticking create a low tone cacophony that feels heavier by the second.

The same, more apt feeling of someone’s stare is added and he looks back at hairball’s big purple eyes. They are hesitant but he doesn’t see any malice in them, the only negative feeling of sadness next to hope.

He extends his hand slowly towards them and places it on the edge of the bed, carefully not touch Ashiya’s unmoving one. Hairball looks at it and they don’t waste any time in nuzzling it also and controlling it how they please.

He moves his fingers to scratch at the right spots, lips pulling up at the blush and the happy wiggle of three bobby tails.

Haruitsuki never partook in the whole debate of ‘cats vs dogs’ because he wasn’t too passionate about animals; although definitely more than he was and still is than humans. That being said, he tended just the slightest towards cats, petting and feeding them more than dogs in the rare occasion he saw them.  It’s their independence and aloofness that call to him more.

Yet this former dog makes his inclinations lean opposite as they have some traits that he loves about dogs too; loyalty, trust and the strength to not hold grudges.

“I was cruel, weren’t I ?” he asks while watching his hand disappear on the white fur, “I should apologize to you and Mononokean.”

Fuzzy nods immediately, unafraid and it makes Haruitsuki feel better.

The memory of his own cold voice blaming the two demons for Ashiya’s present condition is blurry, white spots on it make from anger. He doesn’t have the person he really wants to blame and show his worst self to, so he’d blindly and childishly settled for two scapegoats, that were too kind and for that, taken advantage of.

And just like his cold voice then, it echoes now with the things that he should’ve _said_ , he should’ve _done_ , he should’ve _prevented_.

He looks back at Ashiya’s impassive, calm face.

“I’m sorry.” He whispers and to his dismay, it comes out shaky. His eyes thankfully are dry and his head is heavy, especially since hairball jumps on it and makes him rest his forehead to touch the light blue sheets that smell of anti-septic.

~~

“Takashi-kun, are you alright?”

Takashi nods numbly, head turned towards Touko-san but eyes on the floor and his own feet.

“Tanuma-kun called. He seemed really worried.”

The clenches his jaw to not let his teeth tear apart his bottom lip and raises his head, a plastic smile on his face.

“I’ll see him tomorrow at school and talk to him.” He says.

Touko-san’s lips pull down in a miniscule frown, not attending to let him see; however Takashi has studied the human expressions from his former guardian for so long, looking exactly the moment his presence in unwelcome and excusing himself a second later to not cause them more discomfort. The signals to him are apparent.

No matter what he does, he causes distress and suffering to everyone around him. Even when he tries to reassure them and stand on his feet.

His ability to lie has softened ever since he came to this town and meet all the wonderful people here.

His smile widens and it’s painful.

“I’m fine Touko-san. Just a little unwell, that’s all.”

She nods, “Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes, Takashi-kun. It’s your favorite.” her shoulders less tense but completely relaxed either and the steps on the staircase creak as she descends to the first floor.

“She’s worried.” Sensei states.

“I know.” He continues looking at the door from where she left. The cat’s statement is obvious but saying it makes it more real that he wants to.

“Because you are moping around for no reason.”

He turns at Sensei’s audible yawn and watches him scratch himself incredulously.

“For no reason?” he asks in the same tone, “Do you realize what happened?”

“Yes, yes. The kid got scared.” He waved it off, “It’s been a while since someone was afraid of me. I thought lost it for a little.” He actually sounds relieved.

Takashi gapes at him, the words to many to come out in a comprehensive thought.

“I told you not to get yourself involved.” Sensei says, feeling the array of emotions he feels and predicting his worlds, easy after so long together.

Despite the blow he just delivered, he tries to soften it, or scratch it more, he continues, “You didn’t know so no use on crying over it.”

Takashi’s mind right now is an array of emotions so grave that he’s rendered speechless.

Thankfully he doesn’t get the chance to think more of it as Touko-san alerts him once more about dinner and provides a distraction.

He doesn’t talk as much as usual, nodding and replying with carbon copied answers to the Fujiwaras’ questions and stabbing a little too much on his food, which is most definitely delicious but eats solely out of obligation even if to him it tastes like ash.

Sensei doesn’t try anything funny like taking food from him but as normal, he cozies up to Touko-san for a possible second serving or rubs himself in Shigeru-san’s shins as cutely as he can for a peaky snack.

~~

He’s on his way to get a glass of water when he listens to voices from the kitchen, along with the running water of the dishes.

“He’s probably unwell as he said, Touko.” Shigeru-san says but he’s not as sure as the words try to convey.

“I know, but I feel like he’s closing up again. Like in the beginning.” Touko –san  is obviously more stressed about this, speaking fast and with effort, “He was fine until a couple of days ago. Maybe something happened?”

“There is a chance it might.” Shigeru-san says, probably humming but the clattering of the dishes and the water of the sink overlap it.

“Then why isn’t he-”

“He will, in his own time.” Shigeru-san cuts her off gently. Takashi imagines him putting a hand on her shoulder or warping an arm around her waist, either action certainly gently and reassuring.

“Takashi has always been an introverted kid. I’m sure when if he takes his time, he’ll come on his own. He knows how much we care about him.”

Not bearing to see listen more, he tip-toes back with all the concentration he has not to bolt upstairs and alert them, or just run out of the house like a crazy person.

Thirst forgotten, he tightly bundles himself up to even cover his face, securing himself out of the real world poorly but for now it’s enough.

The blankets are slowly getting wet and he hopes his convulsions aren’t seen as strongly as he feeling them rocking his body from inside out.

_~~_

_They throw him on a forest, not unlike the other’s he’s been to._

_The difference between the darkness before and the light now make his head and eyes hurt and he has to curl up in a ball with his forehead to the ground until he adjusts._

_Once that’s done he stands up in wobbly but not tired legs and looks around. There are student whom he doesn’t know playing, but no one pays attention to him._

_His pace is quick as he tries his best to navigate himself to an exit, blindly searching and turning, his feet carelessly stepping on  the branches and making noise; comforting noise that make him glad he’s out of the void._

_A growl freezes his blood to ice and without looking, he runs to the opposite direction._

_It follows him; he knows that. Slashes and powerful paw interchanging with equally strong flapping of wings that moves him forward._

_Eventually, it sweeps him away, running only to stay standing but he stumbles on a branch that he should have seen as it is to his knees; it wasn’t there a second ago._

_When he falls, like the tendrils, it crawls on his body. Wooden, rough and prickly without consideration if it cuts him._

_It circles his neck, enough to feel it every time he takes a breath but not to make it difficult._

_He can’t move and his struggles are in vain._

_They force him to look up and the images get blurry, he doesn’t know if it’s from the light or his fear threatening to take over._

_Wings or paws come towards him; there is a figure flying or walking towards him. A pitch black bird or a pure white four legged animal, big and scary and intimidating is looking at him with black or yellow eyes like a predator ready to strike._

_It gets ready, with the lean sharp or the jaw full of razor teeth, matching the color of the creature open to devour him._

_He closes his eyes, terrified that this is the end. His voice is still nowhere to be found and he’s paralyzed, so it’s the only thing he can do._

_After too many seconds and no action he dares to open them again._

_In front of him? **Gold**._

_His eyes are only fixated to the gold hair in front of him; it’s flowing in the wind and serves as a shield to protect him._

_Like the creature that wants to attack him, it’s color flickers too. At one moment it’s golden like a wanting treasure, warm and intense and soft looking and at the other it’s paler and calmer but no less reassuring._

_He feels safe enough to stop caring about the creature anymore, and his consciousness has been into such an overdrive that this instant of relaxation makes him close his eyes once more._

~~

It takes a while until he adjusts his eyes again.

His body is rested on something soft and vaguely familiar and so is the ceiling, like he’s been there before. And it’s so fatigue that it’s like he woke up from a thousand year sleep.

His senses sharpen slowly to register the constant beep beep beep of something and there is a weight on his lap and a sensation on the back of his hand that leaves so lightning fast that he might be disillusioned that it was never there; he misses it nonetheless.

He turns his head and he’s faced with a familiar face too close to him to be normal.

“Ashiya? Can you hear me?” Abeno-san’s voice rings in the room, oddly loud.

Hanae coughs before he can speak, although it comes out a groggy and croaky, “Abeno-san?”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it!  
> I have no plans on how this story will go. If you have any ideas of what you want to see, don't be afraid to comment. It can be for either of those fandoms separately or crossover ideas.  
> The general idea is a crossover, but with not every chapter necessarily having the characters of both fandoms interacting. So it might be one chapter crossover, one about Natsume Yuujinchou and one about Fukigen Mononokean. But they'll know each other. I imagine the flow being similar to how both of those fandoms go, one mini adventure per chapter....  
> I hope I make sense.  
> I might add ships, depending on the ideas I have... but it's pretty possible because i ship Tanuma and Natsume a lot!  
> Again, Thank you for giving your time of day with this and I'll see you in the next chapter!


End file.
